The Man With a Gallade's Arm: A New Journey
by Lord Genesis Shadow
Summary: Several years since their first journey Liz and Gene face new challenges, while meeting new friends, and having new adventures. A lot of things are different this time around, but with the help of friends, old and new, they should be fine. Rated M.
1. Prologue

**It's been a few months since the finale of 'The Man with a Gallade's Arm', and I've got another chapter for later, but I'm not sure if regular updates should be expected. From here on out, I'm going to buckle down and get to work on getting a balance of things into this part.**

**There may be a few POV changes instead of the single time we saw things through the eyes of Liz. From Gene to Liz to many others, perhaps even one time characters will find a chapter devoted to them with Gene and co. not being the main characters, just seen through the eyes of another.**

**And this time, I've had to forgo the help of my friends Mariokutai-Reincarnated and DragonLord Seth for reasons all their own. I understand that they have their lives, and life takes center stage, always. But, that doesn't mean I won't ask for their help. That said, if anyone spots any errors or if enough of you believe that this chapter isn't totally believable, please say so in your review. It doesn't matter if you decide to flame me or if you leave a review that says I screwed up. As long as I learn of any mistakes or find that I could have improved on something at some point, please feel free to point it out however you have to. Bear in mind that if a flame consists solely of something like 'you suck, quit writing this crap' or anything of the like, your review will be deleted. If I receive enough of such reviews (Council forbid), know that I have enough free time on my hands to delete the anonymous and report those I find abusive.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do not own the rights to Pokémon. Thank you for reading. Now, back to your regularly scheduled reading.  
…**

After arriving home, a place I haven't been in over ten years, I was greeted by the people who had raised me to the age when I left home. I had their trust, since they had served my parents and kept many family secrets, so I told them about everything that had happened since I had left, omitting a few things here and there.

After a few weeks though, I had gauged them all enough that I knew they wouldn't reveal my secret. So I told them, and there were mixed reactions. Some were okay with our decision, some were confused, though by the end of a fairly long speech they were okay, and those that weren't okay with our choice wouldn't tell anyone out of respect and loyalty. Something felt off though, like some had expected it to happen. Still, as long as they didn't mind, it was okay with me, and it was okay with Liz. That was all I really cared about.

Liz adjusted quickly to living in my home, and she was quite happy. She said that it was better than any of the hotels we had ever stayed at, and I couldn't help but agree with her. It felt great to be home. It reminded me of my parents, and I hoped they would be okay with my decision. Even though it would be difficult to find the answer, at least I knew in my heart that I made the right choice.  
…

I woke to the warm light that morning. It had been four months since we had arrived, and Liz was starting to show. She had been scared, but I always reassured her that I still loved her, that she was still beautiful. I'd gotten up before she did, and she was so tired lately that she slept in a few hours. After going down and getting some breakfast for her the family cooks had woken up and were preparing the kitchen. They just smiled as I walked past them.

I walked into the room to see her sleeping peacefully, so I moved a chair in front of her and sat down, her food on my lap. I watched her as she breathed and I smiled.

'Liz, you're so beautiful.' I thought. 'I promise, I will always be here for you. I'll always be wherever you are, and if I'm not, I'll go to wherever you may be.' She stirred quietly and began opening her eyes. I moved the tray to the side table and set it down silently, carefully, and moved to my right knee in front of her. She looked into my eyes and smiled. I leaned forward and kissed her lips and she closed her eyes again. "Good morning."

"Mmm, good morning." She whispered. I smiled and she opened her eyes again. "Why aren't you in bed with me?" I moved back to the chair and moved it closer to her while the tray moved to my lap.

"I wanted to get you something to eat." I said quietly. "A little breakfast in bed." She sighed quietly and smiled a little wider.

"Thank you." She said. "You didn't have to do this." I moved carefully forward and kissed her forehead.

"I wanted to." I said. "After all, I want my perfect mate to be comfortable in a time like this." She smiled a little wider and I moved my hand to hers.

"A time like what?" She asked slyly. I just smiled.

"A time where you should conserve your energy." I replied. She sighed quietly and I moved a bit to be able to stay close and be better able to feed her. "I made you something special." I removed the lid from the dish and she looked at it. Because she liked to enjoy certain meals but didn't want to overeat, I had a special mix of formulated powder made to put on her meals. She enjoyed it, and I felt thankful for all of what I had that made our lives so easy at times. I moved the spoon into the meal and she sat up. I moved the chair closer to her and she laughed quietly. I moved the spoon near her mouth and she closed her lips around it, closing her eyes as well. "How is it?" She swallowed it and opened her eyes.

"It's, amazing." She said. I smiled.

"Only the best for you." I said quietly. She smiled as I slowly fed her a breakfast soup. It wasn't very thick, and I hadn't named it, but she really seemed to like it. I'd have to try it later. When she was finished, she sighed quietly as I held a glass of Leppa juice up to her lips. She drank it slowly until the glass was empty. I set it on the tray and she blushed as I set the tray on the table. "How do you feel?" She smiled.

"I'm fine." She said. "Still a few more months to go." She moved her hand to her stomach and I put my right hand on top of hers. "Gene, are you, sure we're ready for this?" I smiled and moved closer to kiss her.

"I know we are." I said. I'd been reading a lot of books to prepare. I knew I likely wouldn't get much sleep every night, but since I didn't have to work, I would spend all the time I could getting ready. The only problem was I couldn't go out and buy the necessary furniture myself. As luck would have it though, one of my maids was pregnant, so I asked her if she could have her husband buy extra furniture for me, using the excuse that he wanted to be ready for twins. "I know we'll be good, great, parents." She smiled as I moved my forehead to hers.

"Thank you." She whispered. "I'm just, nervous. Pokémon normally lay eggs. This isn't something that my body is supposed to do." I slowly took her hand and she looked into my eyes. "Am I, still beautiful?" I smiled.

"You're always beautiful." I replied calmly. "You'll _always_ be beautiful." She sighed quietly. She gripped my hand lightly and I heard the door open.

"Oh, sorry to interrupt." A woman said. "I'll just set this down here." I heard her set down a tray. I could smell bacon, eggs, toast, and something sweet, likely pancakes. "Mrs. Alastor?" Liz and I looked at her. "I just want to say that you look very beautiful today." She had short black hair and green eyes. She wore a black and white maid's uniform with a long black skirt. She bowed with a smile before turning.

"Thank you." Liz said.

"Thank you." I repeated. The woman just giggled as she walked out. I laughed quietly.

"What?" Liz asked.

"I was just wondering when the translators will be finished." I said. I felt a bit of guilt from her so I turned and moved my forehead to hers again. "Liz, I'm not saying you're a burden." We'd had this conversation once before when I translated for her as she told everyone that she was grateful that they were so nice to us and how much she appreciated what they did for us. When I brought her to our room she had apologized for a few minutes before I told her that I didn't mind. "I'm always happy to translate for you. I just keep wondering when everyone in the world will be able to hear and understand their Pokémon." She looked into my eyes with small tears forming, so I kissed her lips softly. "I love you."

"I love you too." She whispered. She sniffed quietly and I knew what she would say, but I still wanted to hear her, so I could stay with her for a few more seconds at least. "Aren't you hungry?" I smiled and kissed her lips again as she let go of my hand. I rubbed her stomach for a moment and she sighed. "Gene."

"Okay." I said quietly. I moved the chair back a bit as the tray floated over to me. I perched it on my lap and looked over the meal. Oran juice, milk, three pancakes with a special sour syrup I liked, four strips of bacon, and a healthy amount of eggs. "The chefs really like to outdo themselves." She giggled as I raised my fork.

Nurse Joy told me that due to my changed DNA, which was now one eighth Gallade as I had guessed, I had to have a special addition to my diet. I had to have a particular formula similar to what I had for Liz in order to build up the strength of my psychic powers. In the recent months of learning that I had grown more than twice as capable, and I was now just shy of her abilities, though I had also taken the liberty of learning a few attacks that a Gallade could use. My whole body was capable of feats that a normal human could never do except in their wildest dreams.

"Gene, what should we name our child?" She asked. I thought for a moment as I lowered my fork to rest in the thin blue syrup.

"Hmm, I'm not sure." I replied. "What do you think?"

"I, don't know." She said quietly. "Pokémon don't normally name their children. Jack, must have named Carol, not Grim or Vixie." I nodded slowly.

"I'm not sure either." I said. I thought for a moment and slowly moved the fork to the pancake to cut off a piece.

"What if it's a boy?" She asked. I slowly lifted the piece of pancake to my mouth and put it in as I thought. A few moments passed quietly and I nodded as I swallowed.

"How do you feel about Jet?" I asked. She thought for a moment. "Or maybe, Jace?"

"I like both." She said.

"Well, if our child is a boy, then we'll flip a coin." I said. She giggled. "That way it'll be fair." I laughed. "I can't decide between them either." She smiled as I set the fork down and grabbed another to get at the eggs. I slowly moved the fork to them and moved them into my mouth.

"And, what about a girl?" She asked. "What if we have a daughter?" I ate for a moment as I thought again. After a few minutes I set the fork down with only one name in mind.

"I think, Angel." I said. "I think she'd like that." She smiled.

"Our little Angel." She said quietly. I smiled as she giggled. "I like it. I think, I know she'd like it." I nodded and she giggled a little more. "Now, now I really want our baby to be a girl." I smiled and she sighed. I moved a bit of my psychic power to her stomach to feel like my hand.

"I'll be happy no matter what." I said calmly. "Because, boy or girl, this is our child." She smiled as I rubbed her stomach softly.  
…

I stood in the courtyard as one of my butlers called out his Gallade. I was grateful that he was helping me with my training. I'd yet to find Liz's parents, but I had people searching with an audio message from me, asking them to come by to see their daughter. The people were well trusted, and I was thankful to have so many people that I could ask to help me.

"Are you ready?" Gerald, my butler, asked. He had short gray hair and a black suit. His eyes were blue and very kind, and his skin had a light tan. I just nodded as I readied the blade. His Gallade nodded and readied his blades. With only one to work with I had to be much more careful how I attacked. The only defense my left arm had was a barrier I would put around it. "Then…" He walked to the side of the arena and raised his arms. "You may begin." I smiled as his Gallade ran at me. I had to trust much of my fighting to instinct, though I was taking lessons on personal defense. I blocked a string of attacks, a Close Combat attack, with my right arm. I had learned to use Agility to speed up thankfully. It turned out I had more freedom in my attacks than a Gallade, though not a lot.

"You're getting better." Gallade said. "If they were to allow you to fight in Gym battles I am certain you could beat several of them on your own." I jumped back and he stayed for a moment.

"True, but the Gym Leaders would probably have their Pokémon hold back." I replied. I dashed forward and began attacking with my own Close Combat, though I favored my right arm a little more. He blocked most of the hits, but the ones that got through made him slip and let more through each second. When I jumped back I felt his psychic powers around me so I countered it as best I could. His attempt at a sharp slam to the ground just tossed me down lazily. I slid to a halt and spun around into a combat stance I'd learned. "You know, I bet you two could go far in the League as well."

"I've had my chance." Gerald said. "It was fun, but after your mother saved our lives, we chose to serve your family." Gallade nodded and I smiled. We ran forward and flew past each other, both of us using Psycho Cut at the same time with our right arms. I had a habit of throwing a barrier up to soften his psychic blows, and this time was no exception. He wasn't as prepared though, so as the pink line stung at my chest, he dropped to one knee. I turned to see him laughing quietly. "We have trained for as long as we've been here, but it would seem that you have outgrown our training easily." I smiled as Gallade stood up, using Recover. I'd finally mastered it, and I was thankful.

"I think you're ready to move on to a stronger sparring partner." Gallade said. I summoned my hat and jacket, putting them on calmly, when I heard the courtyard door opening. I turned to see Officer Jenny walking calmly toward me.

"Hello Officer Jenny." I said calmly. Luckily for me the Jenny and Joy families were close, and the Officer Jenny's wouldn't say anything about my being mated to Liz.

"Hello Gene." She said. As she walked up I extended my hand, which she took carefully. "I've got good news. We've located Liz's parents. But, there is also bad news." I stopped smiling. "Someone managed to catch them both, and we were almost unable to deliver the message. But after a battle, this trainer, a kid, took them to a Pokémon Center. Though it's not usual practice, we had a Gallade and Gardevoir that wanted trainers that just happened to be in the Center at the time."

"The old switcheroo?" I asked. She nodded.

"We relayed the message and switched them, but we had to move them carefully." She said. "They have to stay in Pokéballs in order to not be caught again, so we'd like to ask someone here if they'll keep the Pokéballs." I nodded.

"If they're willing, then I guess that would be for the best." I said. She smiled and pulled out the Pokéballs. She opened them and I saw them again. Gallade and Gardevoir, Liz's parents. They looked around before looking at me. They just smiled. "It's great to see you both again." Gardevoir quickly pulled me into a hug and I smiled, returning it carefully.

"I am happy to hear that you have taken such good care of our daughter." She said. "I was worried when I was told that she had tired herself with Dark Pulse." She moved back as Gallade held out his right hand. I took it and he smiled.

"It is good to know she's in such capable hands." He replied.

"I'm sure she'll be glad to see you." I said. He nodded as he let go of my hands. Gerald walked over to Officer Jenny and Gallade looked at his counterpart. "Have you heard the recording?" They shook their heads.

"Oh, I, forgot to mention." Jenny said. I looked at her as she held up a damaged recorder. "It fell out of my pocket and got run over by a big truck." I laughed quietly.

"Well, things happen." I said. I looked at Gallade and Gardevoir. "So, I guess I get to tell you the good news after all. Though, would you mind if we went to Liz's room for this?"

"Is she hurt, or sick?" Gardevoir asked. I shook my head with a small smile.

"She's okay." I said. "But I think she'll want to see you." They nodded and stepped closer, setting a hand on my shoulders. I teleported us and they smiled.

"You're growing into your new power." Gallade said.

"It helps to have the right diet." I said. They moved their hands as Liz gasped. They looked at her and seemed confused at first.

"Mother, father." Liz whispered. She moved her feet to the ground and quickly floated to them and hugged her mother.

"Honey, you, look so, beautiful." She said quietly. She hugged Liz and I smiled as Gallade hugged her as well.

"It is wonderful to see you again." Gallade said. I smiled and removed my jacket and set it on a nearby coat rack, followed by my hat. I turned to see Liz stepping back, blushing deeply while her parents looked at her slightly enlarged belly. "Honey, are you okay?"

"W, well, I, I am." She said with a smile. "I feel, tired, but I am fine." I walked over and Liz walked up to me and turned to them. "Have you, not heard yet?" They looked at me as I moved my arm around her midsection, my hand resting on her stomach.

"Heard what?" Gardevoir asked.

"Um, I, I am…" Liz started. She looked down with a deepening blush.

"Liz is pregnant." I said. They looked at me. "It turns out that my being one eighth Gallade was enough to let us have a child." They looked at Liz for a moment as Gardevoir's eyes began misting, and she moved her hands to her mouth.

"You, you are…" She whispered. Liz smiled and nodded as her mother began crying.

"So, we, will be grandparents." Gallade said with a smile. We nodded and Gardevoir turned to her mate and hugged him tightly.  
…

Gallade and Gardevoir had decided it best to return to the wild, though they would keep their Pokéball to remain free. I respected their decision and thanked them for coming to see us before they returned to their home.

Liz was overjoyed at seeing her parents again, though she still preferred resting whenever possible. I had been summoned to the Pokémon Center again for a checkup again. It was decided that a checkup every month or so would be best to make sure I was okay, so I promised to try to make monthly visits to the nearest Center if we ever started travelling again.

"Gene?" Liz asked quietly. I looked over at her. She was sitting on the edge of the bed so I walked over. "Thank you for finding my parents. It was nice to see them again." I nodded.

"I was glad to see them as well." I said. "Though I guess I should have asked if your father wouldn't have minded helping me train a little." She giggled. "Oh well. I don't mind learning on my own. I'll probably be a lot stronger for it in the long run." She sighed quietly as I sat by her.

"Do you, want to travel again?" She asked. "After I, have our baby?"

"If you want to, and when you're strong enough." I replied. She looked at me. "Having a baby isn't exactly like having an egg. From what I've read, you'll be tired for a while, and very sore. This isn't going to be something your body should normally be able to do, but from what Nurse Joy said you'll be fine." I rubbed the back of my head. "Apparently you get to skip out on some of the discomforts though. You should be physically able to have our child without as much difficulty, since the baby will actually be smaller than an egg." She nodded slowly as I lowered my arm. "There's a lot we still need to prepare, as far as things we'll need to buy and learn." I looked at a bag on the floor and summoned a book from it. It was the guide I'd bought recently that would tell me what I needed to know about being a father. It wasn't exactly what I needed, since our child could be vastly different from a human baby. "After all, this is the first anyone has ever heard of a human and Pokémon relationship resulting in a baby." She nodded as I looked at the book.

"I hope we're able to give our child a good life." She said quietly. I moved my hand to hers and she looked at me again.

"We will." I said.

"But, what if, what if she doesn't look human?" She asked. She really wanted a daughter. "What if she doesn't look like a Ralts? Even if she looks either way, what if she looks too different? A gem in her head, or her chest, bright red eyes, so many things could give her away. If she's born a Ralts, what if she has no gem?" I gently squeezed her hand.

"Liz, don't worry." I said calmly. She blinked. "We can't do anything about that now. There is no point worrying about the future unless you can do something about it. If you can't, then let it go." She sighed and nodded. "Now, if she does look human, but has a gem, then if it's in her chest then we just have her wear her shirt to hide it, and a jacket if necessary. If it's on her head, then we'll just have to hope we can think of something to hide it. Maybe say it's part of a hair band that she doesn't like to take off." She nodded again and turned her hand over to hold mine. "If you worry too much, something might happen to her before she's ever born, so let's try to stay calm about this."

"Okay." She said quietly. "I, I'm sorry. I'm just, I'm not meant to carry a child like this. I should have had an egg months ago."

"Maybe that's saying something about our child." I said. "Maybe she'll look more, human." She nodded slowly and looked at the window. "Who can say if I'm right though? We sailed into uncharted waters some time ago." She nodded again and I rubbed her hand with my thumb. "One day, we'll be able to show our love in public, and when that day comes, our child will have nothing to hide, nothing to be afraid of." She smiled and looked at me.

"Gene, I, spoke with Nurse Joy earlier." She said. "While you were at the Center." I nodded. "She, used this thing, an ultrasound scanner." She smiled wider and I felt a lot of joy from her. "We're being blessed by, a little Angel." I took a moment to take in the thought and smiled. "It's a girl, though, we couldn't tell what she fully looks like yet. There was no sign of a gem." I just smiled as she giggled. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I said. "I've already got one beautiful woman in my life." She giggled again. "And soon, we'll have a beautiful baby girl." She sighed and I rubbed her hand again before she moved her hand from mine and she moved her arm around me. I moved my left arm around her before setting my right hand on her stomach. I felt something and she gasped. "Was that, a kick?" She nodded weakly and I looked at her. "Liz, are you okay?" She shook her head.

"Ow, ow, no." She whispered. "Sh, she looked, kind of, big…" She groaned and I felt a wave of panic.

"Liz, what, what do you mean?" I asked.

"She, she's been, kicking, a lot lately." She said. I looked at her stomach as I felt another kick. "Gene, I, I think, she's coming, now." My eyes went wide. "Call Nurse Joy, quickly." I nodded and she let go of me while I quickly jumped from the bed to get to my phone. It was way too soon. She still had four and a half months to go. It was just too soon. I rapidly misdialed the number three times before getting it right. I focused my mind and took a few deep breaths as I held the phone up to my ear. I had to stay calm and remember the code words. "Oh, ow." I walked over to Liz and she looked up at me as I took her hand, smiling and forcing myself to remain calm. She smiled as the line picked up.

"Hello?" Joy asked sleepily.

"Nurse Joy, we've got a _little surprise_ for you." I said carefully. She gasped quietly. "_She's ready to be seen, very soon_."

"Okay, I'll be ready." She said, somewhat shakily. She hung up and I set the phone on the table as I helped her up.

"Oh, ow, ow, ow, this isn't going to work." She said. She sat down and I began thinking quickly. A thought hit me.

"Liz, can you use Calm Mind?" I asked slowly. She looked at me. "Calm the mind, calm the body." She nodded and took a few deep breaths. She nodded again and I helped her stand up. Without warning my feet felt soaked. Her water had broken. She whimpered and I held her close. "Don't worry, everything is going to be fine." She whimpered and I hugged her. I had to remain calm, for both of our sakes. Joy had shown me the room and I knew where to go. The door opened and I looked to see some of the staff.

"Gene, is it time?" A maid asked. I nodded as they looked at the floor. They'd have to clean it and cover up the scent. "Hurry, go, we'll take care of this." I nodded as Liz cried out quietly. I teleported us into the room we were supposed to stay in and four Nurse Joys were getting ready. We had a special doctor ready to go, and I prayed that he was ready.

"Gene, we called the doctor, but he's eight hours out!" One of them said quickly. Two of them took Liz and walked her over to a table. They removed her dress as she used Calm Mind again. I looked at the nurse that had spoken to me and she held up a picture. "This is the foyer of his house. Go, quickly. He knows what you look like and he doesn't have company." I nodded and focused on the picture before looking at Liz. She nodded as she moved onto the table in the paper gown. I nodded and teleported.

"Whoa!" A startled voice said. I turned to see the doctor. "Oh, Mr. Alastor, thank Arceus it's you. Is it true? She's, ready?" I nodded and he cleared his throat. "Okay, she's in good hands." I nodded.

"Thank you." I said. I walked up to him and he held out his hand. I took it and he nodded. "The first time's a bit bumpy. Brace yourself." He nodded again as I teleported us back to the room. He let go of my hand and stumbled a bit before catching himself. He looked around as the Nurses prepared themselves. One walked up to me and took my hand.

"This way." She said. "We need to get you ready. We'll need all the help we can get."  
…

Liz cried out loudly as I held her hand. The doctor was ready and she was close. She squeezed my hand tightly, causing pain, but it was nothing to me. All the fights before getting used to the speed left me somewhat numb to all but the worst pain. She breathed a few times before crying out again.

"Come on, push, push." The doctor said. Liz groaned as she pushed, squeezing my hand even tighter. I squeezed back slightly as she wrenched her eyes shut. "That's it, that's it, almost there." Liz cried out louder as a Nurse Joy walked over and wiped her forehead and another wiped mine.

"Hang on Liz, hang on, I'm right here." I said. She groaned and pushed again.

"I can see the head." The doctor said. "She's almost here." Liz panted and took another deep breath.

"Hang on Liz." I said. She gripped my hand and I felt something snap, likely a bone. I could barely feel my index finger, and what I could feel was searing pain. I wrenched my right eye shut from it and she screamed. "Come on, you can do it." Nurse Joy wiped my forehead and looked at me. She put her hand on mine and I groaned quietly, trying to ignore the pain.

"Mr. Alastor, are you okay?" She asked. I nodded as Liz let out a long cry of pain and I looked at her as I felt another finger breaking. She stopped after a moment and panted, loosening her grip. That act somehow intensified the pain, but I just opened my eyes while trying to ignore it. "Oh." I looked over at the doctor as I heard crying, a baby crying. Liz panted and looked as the doctor stood up with our baby in his hands, the umbilical still connected to her. He seemed slightly confused, but I could tell he was all business.

"Congratulations." A nurse said. "She's beautiful." In the middle of our daughter's chest was a small golden gem, in the shape of a Gardevoir's, but flat, not like a spike. Liz smiled and looked at me as I looked at her.

"Gene." She whispered. I smiled and moved my forehead to hers. "Our daughter." She breathed quietly as the doctor cleared his throat.

"Mr. Alastor, would you like to cut the umbilical?" He asked. Angel cried quietly as Liz let go of my hand and my surgical mask lowered at a mental command. I stood up after kissing her lips. I looked at him but he looked at my hand. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay." I said. Liz whimpered as I cradled my arm. "I'm fine."

"Oh, your hand." Nurse Joy said. I used Recover and I felt the bones setting and healing rapidly. I used the power several times until the fingers were back to normal. I flexed my fingers a few times. "Recover."

"Amazing." The doctor said. A nurse held out the surgical scissors and I took them as I looked at the cord. I cut it and Liz sighed quietly. "You're a father Mr. Alastor. Congratulations." He walked over to a table and began cleaning her while I set the scissors on the tray before walking back to Liz, sitting down as I looked at her. She looked calmer, peaceful.

"You did it." I said quietly. I took her hand as she nodded. "You did it." She smiled wider.

"Our baby." She whispered. I moved my forehead to hers again. "Is she, beautiful?" I nodded as the doctor walked over with Angel and he smiled as Liz looked at her. I let go of her hand and she took Angel from him carefully. "She is. She's so beautiful." She looked at the doctor as she smiled wider. "Thank you so much doctor."

"Thanks doc." I said. He nodded.

"You're both welcome." He said. "Do you have a name for her?" We nodded as I looked at her.

"Her name is Angel." I said quietly.


	2. A New Journey

**Okay, chapter two. I have high hopes for this becoming as well liked as the predecessor. And I'm quite happy with all of the reviews so far, and so many favorites. The reviews have been good and quite helpful, and I'm told I'm doing a good job. It puts me in a good mood, and it gets me into a good mood, and it makes me feel more confident. For that, I once more thank you.**

**I also once more am posting without my trusted unofficial Betas, but know that they have good reasons, so that means I'll just work to try to spot my own mistakes, though any outside help is appreciated greatly.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to Pokémon. Thank you for your time.  
…**

_I walked in the door with a weary sigh. Two years of hard work and still they couldn't get a tattoo sleeve set that perfectly matched my skin tone. I'd sunk four hundred thousand a year and yet they couldn't get the formula exactly right to match my skin. The upshot was that they had made tattoo sleeves and new inks that perfectly blended in with most skin colors, allowing teenagers who had tattoos on their arms to hide them. And yet, with all of that research, they couldn't perfect the ink to match my particular skin tone. It was always off by a noticeable shade._

_I closed the door and heard a familiar sound coming from the room ahead as I walked near the door. I pretended not to notice as I walked away from the door slightly and smirked._

"_Daddy!" A very familiar voice called. I turned as she jumped up. I caught her with a smile and hugged her as I spun._

"_There she is." I said happily. "I was wondering where my little Angel got to." She giggled as I held her. "How's my wonderful little girl doing today?" She giggled again as she turned to sit in my right arm._

"_I was here with mommy, doing my schoolwork." She said. "I learned how to multiply big numbers." I smiled and kissed her forehead._

"_That's my smart little girl." I said. She smiled as I felt a familiar joy in my heart that wasn't fully my own. I turned and saw Liz leaning against a door with a smile. "Hey honey." She stood up straight and walked over._

"_So, did you tell daddy about that new trick you learned?" She asked._

"_Oh, a new trick?" I asked. I looked at Angel as she smiled. She looked away and I followed her gaze to see a pen floating into the air. I smiled. "I wonder who you get that from." Liz giggled and kissed my cheek as Angel set the pen down._

"_Mommy thinks our little Angel gets it from her daddy." She said quietly._

"_That reminds me, any calls?" I asked. She nodded._

"_One from Nurse Joy reminding you that you should stop by soon for a checkup." She said. "And she called later about Angel's blood work."_

"_What's the news?" I asked. I set Angel down and she looked up. "Angel, why don't you go play with Gavin for a while? Mommy and I need to have a little grownup talk." She nodded and ran off. After she was far enough away I looked at Liz. "Is it?" She nodded._

"_I'm afraid so." She said. "They're working on a vaccine for her, but they said it'll take a few years to perfect it." I groaned quietly. "She says that she's received news of a few more, cases, like ours. From what I've been told, it's a one in one chance, and they're doing a lot of research. But they have to do this out of pocket, and it isn't cheap."_

"_Darn." I said quietly. I sighed. "Well, the upshot of being me is that I can do a lot of good with my money. I'll make a few private donations to her family, big ones, off the books in cash."_

"_I hope it will help." She said. I nodded._

"_It will." I said. "If I have them send the money to each Pokémon Center and have some of my people in the labs lending a hand and sending the Joy family a few permits to get what they need, then I think we might shave years, if not decades, off of the research data." She smiled. "This is no longer just our problem. Who would have thought?"_

"_I'm happy that it's not just us." She said. "Now we know that we're not the only ones who can enjoy our little miracle." I moved my arm around her and she smiled. "But, it comes at a cost." I nodded._

"_Don't worry." I said. "Angel and a number of others may have problems now, but she'll live a full and happy life if we have a say about it, and as much money as we have, I think we can have a pretty big say."  
…_

I opened my eyes as the private jet's engines started getting quieter, meaning we were landing. Liz was resting against my chest with the blanket covering her body. I moved my hand up her back, being careful of her gem. Ever since Angel came along, she was much more emotional at times, but she was good at hiding it when she needed to. We also found that the chance of her becoming pregnant again was incredibly slim.

It turned out that Liz had gone into heat due to her emotions, which we realized had been caused by the Dark Pulse that beat Sabrina's Alakazam. If not for her heat, she wouldn't have gotten pregnant, but we were happy that she did. We watched the battles of the Pokémon League and saw our friend Ash, with Brock and Misty as well. It was great to see that they were okay, but Ash had lost near the end. He did great though, and he was a great battler. One day, we'd challenge him. But that wouldn't be for a while, depending on if we ever saw him again.

We were still intimate, but we were a lot more careful. As much as we loved Angel, having another child could be dangerous, since it would increase the chances of someone finding out. Angel was born at night, but if we had another child during the day, when there was a chance of a trainer coming in to the Center, it could be possible for them to hear Liz crying out in pain, and if they came in to see what was going on, we were pretty much caught.

"Good morning." She said quietly. "Did we land?" I opened my eyes and looked out the window.

"We did." I said. "And we'll be at the private terminal in a few minutes." She sighed quietly and I looked at her. "She'll be fine. She just wants to make sure she's ready to come here. Gavin will take care of her." She nodded and closed her eyes. We stayed together like that for a few minutes before she sighed quietly.

"So, we should probably start getting ready." She said. I kissed her forehead and she smiled.

"Yeah." I said. "A new place to test ourselves and travel. Good thing we trained for this. The Gym Leaders are a few steps above the ones in Kanto, and stronger still than the ones back home." She nodded as she sat up. There was a knock at the door and she moved back down to give both of us a little modesty in case the door opened. The intercom buzzed and I used my powers to press the button.

"Mr. Alastor, we'll be a bit longer than usual." A man said. "We're having trouble with the main cabin door. I apologize for the inconvenience, but this does give you a moment to fully awaken. I expect ten to fifteen minutes before we are departure ready."

"Thank you Roy." Liz called.

"You are most welcome Mrs. Alastor." He said. I tried to remember what he looked like. I let the button go as she sat up slowly and stretched.

"I wonder, if anyone will try to meet us." She said quietly. I moved up and hugged her, making her laugh quietly.

"We'll be quick." I said. "We just have to check the backpack, and we can be out in no time." She nodded and I kissed her cheek. "But, we've got time to get ready." She moved slightly and I let go of her slowly. As she stood up she stretched again. I got out of the bed and stood up behind her and she leaned back to let me catch her. As I held her she looked back at me while we both smiled. "I'll always be here to catch you if you fall." She leaned up and kissed me, and we just stayed like that for a few moments before she moved away, her dress appearing on her. I smiled and picked up my new black jeans as she walked over to my shirt and coat, both sitting across the cabin on the small couch.

"So, who will the first Gym leader be?" She asked. I thought about it for a few moments.

"It's a good walk to Oreburgh from here." I said quietly. "But the leader's name is Roarke. He uses Rock types."

"Sounds kind of like Brock." She noted quietly. I nodded as I zipped up my pants. She tossed my shirt over and I made it float around me and I slipped my arms through the sleeves.

I'd gone from tee shirts to a black button up long sleeve, mostly because it was a little better looking and I could remove both the shirt and the duster at the same time. I had to leave the old duster behind, but now I wore a new one, black toughened leather instead of regular black leather.

Over the past few years my hair had grown only a little but my beard was still very short, still a seemingly permanent five o' clock shadow. In all of my regular training I'd grown leaner, and thanks to the Gallade portion of my blood I could run faster, jump higher, and my psychic powers were nothing to scoff at, though in constant tests, I couldn't fully match up to a well trained Gallade without some thinking to make up for my weakness.

Liz had taken to her training much more seriously as well, training her body and mind almost obsessively. She was strong, fast, and I couldn't get anywhere near her level of psychic ability.

"So, we should locate a grass or water type before we get to his Gym." She said quietly. I nodded as she held my duster out to me. I took it but held her hand for a moment. She just giggled and smiled before she slipped her fingers out from mine. I pulled the duster on and my hat moved over, and I put it on as she pulled my sunglasses out of the pocket. I smiled as she put them over my eyes. "There. The man I fell in love with, with his secrets hidden." As she lowered her hands the door opened and we looked over. It was the pilot.

"We've got the door fixed." He said. "Your backpack will be waiting at the entrance for you." I held out my hand and he took it.

"Thank you." I said. "We really appreciate it." He smiled as he shook my hand.  
…

Liz walked beside me as we looked around the town of Jubilife. It was a beautiful city, active and full of energy everywhere we could look. Thankfully we avoided any media. I was about sick of them asking why I'd shut myself away for the past few years, going to the Pokémon Center and to various libraries every few weeks.

If they asked one more time about Liz being sick or anything like that, I'd have to hire a few bodyguards to act as bouncers for such people.

"Gene, look." She said. I looked at her as she pointed to a store, and I looked over as well. I saw a woman walking out in a very frilly dress, sky blue, and she had a matching blue parasol, which was, equally frilly. She looked around before looking over at us. I felt that familiar emotional energy from her. "We should, hide in the crowd." The girl quickly ran over as I looked for a crowd, but there weren't any big ones.

"Excuse me, sir!" The woman called. I sighed as we turned to her. She rushed over and looked at me for a moment before nodding. "Yes, it really is you!" She suddenly hugged me, making me cringe while Liz became somewhat jealous.

"Uh, have we, met?" I asked. She stepped back and moved her parasol back to her shoulder.

"No, we haven't, but I know who you are." She said. "You are Gene Alastor. I am Marie Aleria, your fiancée." I blinked and tried to think of who would play a joke like this on me. One name came to mind, almost immediately.

"Did Johan put you up to this?" I asked. She blushed.

"No." She said quietly. "Your parents agreed with my father that we would be married when we were old enough. I just, couldn't decide when the time was right." She smiled. "But now is as good a time as any to start planning."

"Uh, I hate to break this to you, but I'm, not really, available right now." I said slowly. "I mean, you seem like a nice girl and all, but I'm not exactly looking for a fiancée right now. I'm sorry, but I'm still on my Pokémon Journey." She seemed surprised. "In fact, this is the first I've heard of an arranged marriage between us." She lowered her head.

"Your parents, the, night of the crash…" She said quietly. "That was, the night that they made the decision. They were on their way home to, tell you, when that Tauros ran out in front of them." I put my hand to the back of my head. I'd never heard of the circumstances before the crash.

"Still, I, arranged marriages, don't sit well with me." I said. "Regardless of what my parents decided for me, I have to make my own decisions. I'm really sorry, but I have a lot I need to do." She seemed irritated. "And besides, you can find someone better than me. I mean, for starters I'm not exactly what you'd call 'normal'. Second, I have any number of odd habits and things I spend money on. Third, well, just trust me when I say that you're better off with someone else." I held out my hand. "But, it was very nice meeting you." She pushed my hand away.

"It was your parents' dying wish." She said. "You should honor it."

"My parents may have thought it best, but I know what's best for me." I said firmly, but still calmly. "Everyone has something they have to do, and I have something that I need to do now. Please, don't take it the wrong way. You seem really nice, but there's just no way we'd get along." She pulled out a Pokéball.

"Then let's settle this." She said. "If you win, I'll leave you alone for a while, though I'll challenge you again. If I win, we begin planning for the wedding immediately." I sighed.

"You're serious?" I asked. She nodded. I removed my hat and ran my fingers through my hair as Liz stepped back a little. "You know I could just have Liz teleport me away to avoid this whole thing, right?"

"You won't." She said. "You can't resist a challenge." I smirked.

"And we don't lose easily." I said.  
…

Liz stepped onto the field as Marie and I took our places. She pulled out a single Luxury Ball while I put my hands in my jacket pockets.

"I took a lot of time to raise this Pokémon, for you." She called. "I trained him so we could both have similar Pokémon, so we could be a team. I know you'll like him." She held out the ball. "Lancelot, to arms!" The ball opened and a red beam formed a very familiar shape. When it faded, a Gallade stood tall with his arms crossed. "He took a liking to dark colors, so I was able to have someone change the green to something a lot stronger looking." And she was right; his once proud green color was a very dark gray, except for the crest on his head, which was a lighter shade of gray. His gem was still the ever familiar red of a normal Gallade though. "Are you ready?"

"I should warn you first." I said. "Liz and I have been training for the years we stayed back. I believe it would be best if you'd take a rain check on this." She scoffed and I shrugged. "Liz, I believe she won't take no for an answer." She nodded and stepped out. "I leave this in your capable hands."

"Thank you." She said quietly. "Good luck Lancelot."

"And to you as well." He said.

"Lancelot, start off with Slash!" Marie said quickly. Lancelot shot forward and swung his arm, only to find a double in place of Liz. I just smiled.

"Not bad." I said. "Not exactly what I expected, but not too shabby." Lancelot turned as Liz yawned. She had teleported to the middle of the battlefield.

"Another Slash!" Marie called. "Take her down!" Lancelot again rushed toward Liz, who had teleported away by the time she finished saying 'take'. This was repeated for a few minutes, Lancelot being ordered to use Slash against Liz, who would just teleport away and leave a double for him to slash through. After five minutes though, I saw Liz getting tired of the game. "Okay, use Psycho Cut!" Marie was furious, and I didn't need my ability to sense emotions in order to see _that_. "Knock her out!"

"I think that I've had enough fun for one fight." Liz said lazily. She reached up and yawned into her hand as Lancelot rushed toward her. "Oh dear, I think I may have, jetlag." She stood there and Lancelot swung hard, leaving a pink line through her midsection. I just crossed my arms and laughed quietly.

"Yes, direct hit!" Marie called. Before she could call out another attack, Liz's right hand burst into flame and she punched Lancelot in the jaw, sending him up and away toward Marie, who put her hands to her mouth as he landed with a heavy thud. "N, no. How, what?"

"I'd say that Lancelot is out for the count." I said calmly. Liz walked over to me and took my arm as she yawned again. She rubbed her stomach lightly where Lancelot had hit her and Marie looked up at us. "As I said, we did not neglect our training, nor did we sit around and get lazy. We came here to challenge the Sinnoh League, and we will do just that."

"But, Lancelot, used his best Psycho Cut." Marie said quickly. "How did she take that hit?"

"It wasn't that he was weak." Liz said quietly. "It's just, I'm a bit stronger." Marie stared at her and I looked closely to see that she didn't wear translator earrings. They were very cheap, and easily mass produced. In fact, the new model that was offered to the public was more advanced than the ones I still wore. I still had the prototypes, though I did take them in from time to time to get them updated.

"Liz said that it wasn't that Lancelot was weak, it was just that she is a bit stronger." I explained. "Marie, why don't you have translators? They're very cheap, and you don't even need pierced ears to use them. They do have clip on models."

"But, I just, I trained to be strong, so we, could be a great team." Marie said. She didn't even listen to my question. "Do you not love me? We were promised for each other." I put my free hand to my forehead.

"Promised or not, I'm not a child anymore." I said. "We must choose our own paths through life." I gestured to her. "And my path currently does not include you beside me. I am sorry for that, but it is how life goes." She seemed about to cry so I put my hand to my forehead again. "Marie, if you want to challenge me again somewhere down the line, feel free. Just, don't take it too hard. I make my choices in life, and you must make yours. My choice now…" I lowered my arm. "Is that I intend to challenge the Sinnoh League and not be married to you." I began walking as she recalled Lancelot. "I know that you will challenge me again someday, but until that day, I am going to go to the first Gym I can find and challenge the leader. Until we next meet, I wish you good luck with your training." She growled as Liz and I walked away. "For now, I think we'll find a hotel, or set up a tent somewhere outside of town. It's been a while since we've camped out. Goodbye."


	3. A New Friend

**Okay, a little late on the update, but I had a late night with some research material, but here it is. It'll likely be a little while until the next update, as I'm working on both this and Jack's Journey for the next few weeks. That said, I'll try to post something next week, but I have doubts about that.**

**Remember that I'm accepting OCs, but use the sheet on my profile. If not followed I'll copy and send it how it's meant to be used, and if still not followed, I won't be able to use the character.**

**This chapter has been given the green light by Mariokutai-Reincarnated, and he's given me some good advice, which I'll be following from now on. Thanks MR, you're a great help, and I appreciate it.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to Pokémon, and that my work is not to make money, but to provide something for people to read and pass time with. Thank you, and happy holidays everyone.  
…**

Staring out at the city, I couldn't help but notice how many people were going to work so early, and some were coming home. The morning sun was beautiful as it started rising, and it was casting a beautiful glow against the clouds. Purple, orange, dark blue, it was great to start the day with such a sight. I took a deep breath and sighed quietly. That was one of the reasons I started travelling, to see sights like this nearly every day.

We weren't staying long, and we were heading out in a little while to Oreburgh City to challenge the first Gym Leader. I had hopes to catch a few Pokémon before then, particularly a grass type if possible, or even just a type that learned the right type of move, especially a water or ice move, and there were some Pokémon in the region that could use such moves.

I hear Liz humming as she walked into the room. She was talking to Nurse Joy while I made a few calls to our house to check a few things. The door closed and I leaned down slightly as I sensed her walking closer. I just smiled as she got closer.

"How'd it go?" I asked. She moved over and set her arms on the window next to me.

"She said they're very close." She said quietly. "Thanks to you." I smiled. "Two, three months, and they'll have it ready." I nodded.

"Good." I said. "Good news." She nodded.

"They also got your blood work back." She said. "They said you showed no signs, like we thought." I smiled. "And they said that your DNA is contained something, and that's what gave them the breakthrough, and they can synthesize it easily." I smiled a little wider. "This is the breakthrough we've been waiting for."

"It is." I said quietly. "Now we just need to wait." She nodded and I moved my hand to hers, making her laugh. "Just a couple of months." She nodded again and moved back. I followed her and the windows shut. "So, ready to head out?" She smirked and leaned forward, putting her forehead to mine gently. I just smiled and closed my eyes. "Hey, this is great news. We just need to pass the time until everything is ready." She gave me a quick kiss and I gently took her hands.

"So, eight badges." She said quietly. "We had six last time." I nodded. "Do you think we can get the last two, and do what we can in the league?" I smirked and opened my eyes.

"I think we can." I said. "I think, that we'll get to the league, and we'll give it everything we've got." She smiled as she moved back a little.

"And, maybe we can enter a Contest or two?" She suggested.

"Sounds like a plan." I said quietly. She kissed me again and let go of my hands, stepping back as my jacket moved over to me. I pulled it on and she smiled. As I offered my arm, my backpack floated over and I slipped my other arm through it. She took the offered arm and we walked over to the door and out into the hall, the door closing behind us seemingly on its own. "So, we're off, this time without any problems, I hope." She laughed as we walked to the elevator.  
…

"Mmm, something smells nice." Liz said quietly. I inhaled and noticed a sweet scent. "Honey, I think."

"Definitely." I agreed. I closed my eyes and breathed the scent in again. "I've heard of people slathering honey on the bark of trees in order to attract certain Pokémon, like Teddiursa, Munchlax, Combee, and various other insect Pokémon." I sniffed again and nodded as I opened my eyes. "I wouldn't mind trying that method. Munchlax grow into Snorlax, and they grow to be very powerful, and hungry." She laughed quietly as we walked along. "I think I might have some regular honey, but this technique calls for a special kind of honey. We'll have to look for it when we get into town." She nodded as we walked along the path. There were trees all around, adding to the beauty of the path, though eventually we would run into a tunnel through a mountain that would take us to Oreburgh.

"I wonder if I should stay back for our early battles this time." She said quietly. I looked at her. "I'm very strong now, probably stronger than we need. If we have others, they will need the training more than I will." I nodded and she looked up at me. "I wonder what Pokémon we will find to help us." I smiled slightly.

"Whoever we find, I'm sure we'll make a good friend." I said. She nodded and we looked ahead. As we walked, I heard a sound, and when I looked I saw a Shiny Buneary running onto the path, but it stopped and looked at us. "Hello there." It stared at us and Liz giggled.

"Who are you?" The Buneary asked. It was female.

"I'm Gene." I said. "This is Liz, my best friend." Liz smiled and the Buneary looked at us for a moment.

"A-are you… g-gonna catch me?" She asked. These days most wild Pokémon knew that humans could understand them with the translators. How they knew was a bit of a mystery, but likely because humans letting their Pokémon go back out into the wild, or caught Pokémon telling wild ones that they battled about the translators. Either way, many of them knew.

"Well, I hear that Buneary can learn moves like Ice beam and Dizzy Punch." I said. "We'll be challenging a man with a good number of Rock and Ground types. You would be a welcome member of our team, if it would be okay with you." She stepped back slightly before her ears twitched slightly and she adopted a fighting stance.

"W-well… if you, want to catch me, you'll, h-have to, f-fight me." She said. She was very nervous, but she wasn't afraid. More like she wanted to test herself. Liz giggled again. "W-what, what's so, f-funny? I-i-is it my, s-st-stutter?"

"We have trained a lot." Liz replied. "If you battle us, I don't think you would be able to hurt me." Buneary's expression softened slightly. "We have trained for more than two years together, and I am a very strong Gardevoir. I would not want to hurt you, or embarrass you."

"I-I, d-don't want to, j-just… give in." Buneary said. "I, w-want to, f-fight." I looked around for a moment and saw that there weren't any people nearby that could see me, so I looked at Buneary.

"Tell you what." I said. "I've got a secret. Can you keep a secret if I tell you?" She looked up at me.

"A, s-secret?" She asked. I nodded.

"A very big secret." I said. "If any humans knew my secret, I would be in big trouble, _very_ big trouble. I might even have to run and hide for the rest of my life if anyone knew. So, if I tell you, will you promise to never tell anyone about it?" She nodded as Liz let go of my arm. I took a step and kneeled in front of Buneary. I removed my sunglasses and she put her hands to her mouth. "I'm not totally human. I'm part Gallade."

"W-w-wha, h-how?" She asked quietly.

"Well, it's a long story." I said. "But, I'll tell you my story if you come with us. You won't be giving up, or giving in. You'll be joining our journey to grow stronger." She looked down at the ground. "What do you say? I've got a lot more secrets than just my eye." I moved my arm out of the duster and rolled up my shirt sleeve, making her gasp again. "I've got one arm like a Gallade's, and one eye. I've got psychic power and I'm really strong. Just think, I've got more secrets than just that, and I only share secrets like this with my closest friends." Liz walked over and knelt as well. "We'd very much like your help, and we can help you get really strong." Buneary looked up at me.

"W-will you… c-can I… have, a n-name?" She asked. "I-instead of calling me, B-B-Buneary?" I nodded.

"Of course." I said. She thought for a moment before nodding and I pulled out a Luxury Ball. I'd long since decided to give my friends only the best comfort, so I commissioned a new model of Luxury Ball. These had much more space in them, and were very comfortable.

"C-can I, walk… w-w-with you?" She asked quietly. I nodded.

"I won't force you to stay inside the ball unless it's dangerous." I said. She reached out and touched the button, opening it. It pulled her in with a bright green beam and didn't even shake. It just made the quiet ping sound before I opened it. She looked up at me and I smiled as I set the ball on a catch. "Welcome to the team, Melody." She smiled and I reached out my hand. She took it and I picked her up, making both girls laugh quietly. I set her on my free shoulder as Liz took my arm. "So, when we set up camp tonight, I'll tell you a little about us. Okay?" Melody nodded as we started walking. "From now on, you're our new friend."

"T-thank you." She said. I smiled. "A-and… I kn-know Ice B-Beam, already. I h-hope it, helps." I laughed quietly.

"I know it will." I said. "Roark is going to be so embarrassed when a cute little Buneary beats his big strong Rock types." She giggled as we walked down the path.  
…

I settled against the base of the tree as Liz spoke with Melody. She was explaining a few of our old adventures, and the technique of my calling of letters instead of attack names so the people we battled wouldn't be able to effectively prepare. And as we ate, I told Melody about how Liz and I had met, though not the full extent of our relationship. I left out a lot of things, but I did tell Melody about the cruise ship when we had danced. I would tell her more later, but for the time being she would have to wait for some of the biggest surprises.

"S-so… you want to, d-dance… in front of h-humans?" Melody asked. I looked over as Liz nodded. "W-wow… that sounds l-like fun. I w-wish I could d-d-dance."

"I could teach you someday." Liz said quietly. "After all, Gardevoir are very good dancers. When you evolve, we'll be very nearly the same height, so I'll be able to teach you a lot better than I could now." Melody giggled and I smiled. It was good that they were getting along, and Buneary evolved into Lopunny if they were particularly happy. Being her friends meant she could trust us with anything, and we would trust her. Hopefully that would mean we could help her evolve someday. It would certainly make me happy to know that she trusted us that much. "Until then though, we'll just have to wait. Until then, we'll help you get strong, and one day you'll be a beautiful Lopunny, and I'll teach you how to dance."

"I-I'd like th-that." Melody said. I lowered my hat and settled in against the trunk of the tree.

They talked for a little while longer before Liz moved over and sat down beside me, setting her head on my shoulder. A few moments later I heard Melody recall herself into her ball.

In addition to being comfortable, they were set with special tracking devices in case they got lost or stolen, and they were keyed to my DNA to keep anyone else from opening them. In such a case where someone stole them, they would automatically lock and send out an alert.

"Gene." Liz said quietly.

"Yeah love?" I asked.

"When we teach Melody our strategies, I want to help." She said. I nodded. "And, we'll need others to help us. We're going to have to make a really strong team." I nodded again.

"We'll make a good number of friends, and we'll help them grow to be strong." I said quietly. She nodded. "Nothing but the best for our friends." She moved her head and kissed my lips lightly. After a moment she ended the kiss and set her head back to my shoulder. "Good night." She yawned quietly and snuggled closer.

"Good night." She said quietly.  
…

I woke to the sound of quiet laughter, and I was a little cooler than usual. I opened my eyes slowly and looked to see Liz dancing in front of Melody. She was dancing slowly to no music we could hear, but it was a sight to see.

'With just a hint of focus.' I thought. It took a moment, but I made a pair of spare gloves and boots to float over behind her, and the right glove tapped her shoulder. She turned and smiled before taking the right glove in her hand and the left settled on her hip. Melody just laughed a little bit louder as Liz began dancing with 'me'. 'And one, and two, and spin…' I moved the gloves and boots to the positions and twirled her. 'These powers are amazing.' After a few minutes I got up, still keeping the focus, before twirling Liz over to me, and we truly began dancing. "Good morning."

"Indeed." She said quietly. Melody watched as we moved around our camp slowly, turning and dancing around anything for a few minutes before Liz sighed. "I do so enjoy dancing. Especially when I have a partner." I smiled.

"I feel the same." I said. After a few more moments of dancing we slowly stopped and I bowed to her. She curtsied and as I stood up Melody began clapping. A few seconds later there was another source of clapping. Liz looked over to see my other gloves clapping beside Melody, who was laughing quietly. "And I also enjoy such childish uses of the power your father gave me." Liz smiled and pulled my hat down slightly as she walked away and began packing things with her powers.

"You t-two are, r-r-really good friends." Melody said. The right floating glove patted her head and she giggled.

"We've been together for a few years now." I said. "She was the first Pokémon I caught, albeit at something of a cost, but the first Pokémon a trainer catches is the one he or she will use the most. Or, at least according to a study." The gloves flew over to me and went into my pockets. I walked up to her and her Luxury Ball floated onto the catch on my belt, shrinking just as it did so. I kneeled as she jumped and I caught her, pulling her up onto my shoulder again. "Liz and I are as close as close gets, and I don't intend on leaving her behind."

"She s-said that… you had to, q-q-quit the, other L-League." She said. I nodded. "Why?"

"Well, let's say that one of my secrets is there, and that's for another day." I said. "But, something big happened, and it's really important you trust me on that much." She nodded and seemed confused. "But, we really wanted to challenge the League before, and we still want to test ourselves. We figured that challenging the same group of Gym Leaders wouldn't really be that fair, so four years of training led to the choice of challenging the Sinnoh region."

"Sh-she also said that, y-y-you'll be, m-meeting, someone." She said. I nodded again.

"She means a lot to us." I said. "Met her, a little under a year after we went back to my home to train. She's been training with us with a Pokémon of her own." I laughed. "She's a good kid, and we said we'd meet her here when she was ready." She nodded and my cell phone rang. I pulled it out and smiled at the picture that came up. It was a blue and white A. "And I need to take this." She nodded and I flipped it open. "Yo." There was a familiar laugh and I smiled.

"I'm on my way." She said. "They had to divert to Veilstone, and I'll take my bike to Eterna."

"Sounds good." I said. "I'm on my way to Oreburgh, so you might have to check into a hotel. Just use the card."

"Okay." She said. "Oh, and Gavin and I found a Dawn Stone. He evolved before we got to the airport."

"Great news." I said.

"What's great news?" Liz asked.

"Gavin evolved." I said. She smiled as Melody looked at Liz. "And she's landing in Veilstone, and she'll take her bike to Eterna and check into a hotel if we don't meet up with her." She nodded and smiled.

"One more thing, I ran out of Gavin's formula." She said. "I tried to call Nurse Joy, but she was busy, and I can't get her. Could you tell the Joy in Oreburgh to send a message to the Veilstone Pokémon Center that I need Gavin's formula?"

"No problem." I said. "I'll call ahead. I've got all of their cell phone numbers. I'll text her and have her send a message to the Veilstone Joy to text you."

"Thanks." She said. "I'll be setting down in a few hours. See you in a few days, maybe a week."

"See you then." I said. I felt Liz sending an emotion so I smiled. "Liz sends her love. And say hey to Gavin for me."

"Oh, gotta go, bye." She said, somewhat hurriedly. I laughed as she ended the call. As I lowered my arm Liz walked closer.

"Guess the stewards were going to check in on them." I said as I put the phone away. She nodded and I looked at Melody. "So, are we all ready to go?" Melody nodded as Liz handed me the pack. I looked at the path as Liz took my arm.

"S-so… we'll have someone else, w-with us later?" Melody asked. I nodded.

"Someone very important to us." I said.

"She means a lot to us." Liz said quietly. "Gene thinks of her as though she were his daughter." I smiled slightly. "He even helped her find a Ralts to raise."

"That'd be Gavin." I said as we started walking. "He evolved to a Kirlia a few months back, and they found a Dawn Stone recently, so they evolved him into a Gallade."

"H-how strong is he?" Melody asked quietly.

"Oh, he's a tough little guy already." I said. "He can't really handle Liz, and I'm fairly above him in terms of psychic power as he is now. I can't really best a Gallade in any form of fighting, but I think on my feet, and that lets me handle my other training partners." She nodded.

"C-c-cool." She said. After a minute or so she let out a sigh.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

"D-do you think m-my stutter is… f-f-funny?" She asked.

"It's part of what makes you who you are." I said.

"I… w-wish I could s-stop it." She said. "I think it s-s-sucks. It g-gets on my n-n-nerves!" She sighed again.

"I knew a guy that stuttered a few years back." I said. "Worked for a company I own. About a year ago he stopped by using hypnosis therapy."

"H-hypnosis?" She asked. I nodded.

"It helped him." I said. "He said each session cut it down considerably, and by the third one he had stopped completely."

"How does it w-w-work?" She asked quickly.

"I use hypnosis on you and give you hypnotic suggestions." I said. "From what the man told me, you won't be totally asleep, just in a state where you're not fully aware, and your mind will be open to suggestions. It sticks in your mind, and you'll stop stuttering progressively." She smiled as I looked down the path. "After I plant the suggestion, I just bring you slowly out of the hypnosis. Though I'll need some books to study how it all works. Amateur techniques combined with genuine psychic hypnosis should help with this." She nodded happily.


	4. A step forward

**Happy New Year! Ah, another year, another chance to improve my skill and learn. With that, I'm quite glad that New Year's Eve fell on Friday this year. It's the perfect day for me to post, though it's not a midnight posting. I could, but I'm happier posting right here, right now, in the morning as usual. I've got plans for tonight, mostly involving reviewing my source materials (AKA playing video games or rereading my old stories and recent stuff).**

**This is another chapter introducing a new character, and this one is an OC courtesy of Infinity Warrior. You'll know him when you see him, and I won't spoil anymore than that. So, thanks go to Infinity Warrior not only for giving me this OC, but for helping me get the chapter going.**

**That said, anytime someone gives me an OC to add, I use that OC to further the chapter that they're added to the end, introducing and giving a feel for them. This was the case with chapter twenty of Gallade's Arm and the many OCs given by The Avid Gamer and Kaykat. So if you think you have a good OC, I might just add them if I like them enough, and you'll be given the proper thanks.**

**Now that we've covered that, I'll say that I'm working hard at Jack's Journey as well, though I wouldn't think the next chapter will be done by the end of today, but I'm shooting for next week. I'm not sure how far it will go, but I like it, and with my renewed interest in it I plan on giving it the attention it deserves.**

**Oh, and to those that wondered where the M rated stuff is, you're welcome. Enjoy how you will.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do here by state that I do not own the rights to Pokémon, and Infinity Warrior does not own the rights either. Thank you, and have a Happy New Year.  
…**

"Okay Melody, let's try again." I said calmly. She nodded and fired the Ice Beam at me, and it hit the barrier as it always did, forming a blue burst a foot and a half away from me. The beam was somewhat large, meaning she wasn't devoting enough focus to it, and probably too much energy. But it was better. The beams were usually a bit larger than this one. After a few moments she stopped and let out a breath. "Very good. You're making a lot of progress." She smiled and I walked over to her as Liz walked over to the path. She had heard a noise and went to check on it. I picked Melody up, holding her on my left arm as I turned. "So, did you find the source of the noise?"

"No." She said. "Maybe I was just imagining it." I nodded as she once more took my arm. We went back down the path as Melody sighed quietly. "So, practicing the Ice Beam while I was on my wild Farfetch'd chase?"

"Practice makes perfect." I said. She laughed and Melody giggled into her hands. "I have to say, Roarke's Pokémon won't stand much of a chance now. Just a little more focus and a bit less energy and Melody will be able to shoot an Ice Beam through a keyhole."

"You r-r-really think so?" Melody asked. I nodded and looked at her as the dirt road led to a rocky path. "That w-would be… p-pretty cool." She giggled as I smiled. I felt another presence behind us though, calm but somewhat curious.

"I can only imagine what Roarke will think." Liz said. "When you walk onto the field, I bet he'll just laugh and say something about you being cute, but he won't imagine you're very tough." We walked toward the cave and stopped to look up at it. I saw a few hikers walking around a few camps nearby and a few people with picks and shovels looking around for places to dig, likely for fossils. "It's been a while since Mount Moon."

"Yeah, it has." I said. "Hopefully this time we won't have a sudden surprise like me turning a little more Gallade." Liz laughed as we started walking. There were lights strung up and plenty of places for light to come in from above. The lights weren't on, but the cave was fairly well lit from the morning sun. After a while of walking I felt the emotions from before growing stronger, closer. I stopped and looked at Liz and then at Melody. "Liz, could you hold Melody for a few minutes?" She nodded and I handed Melody to her. "I'll be back soon." I walked off of a path calmly and I tried to pinpoint the emotion. Because I was only part Gallade, I couldn't fully sense emotions that weren't sent from very good friends, or Liz. But this emotion was coming from nearby, and it wasn't moving anymore. I moved into the shadows and used my psychic powers to keep my feet from touching the ground as I moved forward. 'You can hide in the forest, but here, there aren't many high places to hide.' After a few moments I spotted something behind a rock, just barely hidden from me, and totally hidden from the girls. 'There you are.' I walked over and saw that it was green, and I smiled at what it was. 'Ah, I see. A Treeko. No wonder you were so well hidden before.' I walked over behind the small green gecko Pokémon and watched him for a moment before crouching behind him and gently setting my boots on the ground properly. I waited before smiling a bit more. "So, you're the one that's been following us for the past few minutes." He turned to me calmly and I saw a piece of wheat straw in his right hand. I held out mine and he put the straw in his mouth at the corner. "Name's Gene." He took my hand calmly, though cautiously.

"Drake." He said. I shook his hands as Liz sent a bit of curiosity.

"Why don't we step into the light so the girls know who you are?" I asked. He nodded and let go of my hand, quickly moving over the rock to walk over where the girls saw him. I stepped over the rock as well and walked over to Liz and turned to him as he looked up at us. I gestured to Liz. "This is Liz, my best friend, and Melody, our new friend." Drake bowed politely and Liz smiled.

"I am Drake." He said. "I apologize for following you so stealthily, or, what I believed was stealth." He crossed his arms. "I assume you are a trainer?" I nodded. "I would like to, join you."

"J-j-join us?" Melody asked. "Why?"

"I want to travel." He said. "I used to have a trainer, but he could not handle his journey, so he released me a few days ago. I wandered until I found my way to the city, hoping to find a trainer who would take me in and let me travel with them. All I wish to do is travel and test myself." I nodded as he looked up at us.

"Why didn't your previous trainer keep you?" Liz asked. "Was it because of your wish to travel?" He shook his head.

"That was part of the reason." He said. "But mostly it was because he didn't have a lot of money, and he wouldn't be able to take care of both of us for a few months, and he didn't want me to go hungry. He knew I would find a trainer within a few days of releasing me." He looked at me. "I promise not to be a burden." I thought for a moment before nodding and pulling out a Luxury Ball and kneeling.

"Welcome to the team, Drake." I said. He smiled a bit and tapped the ball. It pulled him in and didn't shake, just as it didn't shake with Melody. After a second or so the ball opened again and he appeared in the green beam. He turned to face me as I put the ball on the catch. I held out my hand and he climbed up my shoulder and held on to the back of my duster, looking over the shoulder. As I stood up and looked at Liz, she just smiled and started walking. I smiled and walked as well.  
…

We had to set up camp in the cavern. It wasn't that it was a big place, but because we wanted to do some training with the local rock and ground types, mostly Geodude, and we occasionally spotted a wild Zubat. We wouldn't catch one. It was just to train.

Drake knew Leech Seed, Quick Attack, Pound, Absorb, and Leer. I was planning on ordering some TMs to help him, including Iron Tail. Steel type attacks were always good to learn. His prior battle experience was relatively low, and he had only fought a few times against a few water types that could go on land. He said that he won them, just barely.

"Gene, look." Liz said. I looked at her and then at the others. Drake was getting along well with Melody, and they were playing a game of Tag. The funny part was that Drake was using Quick Attack to get little bursts to catch up to her, but not to run away. I smiled as she looked at our tent. There was a cold breeze blowing through the cave, so I'd put Melody and Drake's Pokéballs in a warm spot while we shared a sleeping bag. They would wake up later than one of us, that much was pretty much a given. Liz usually woke up before I did recently, so she would likely wake up, wake me up, and we'd get ready to get on with our trip to Oreburgh. "Don't they look like they're having fun?" I nodded and she looked at me. "I really wish it would be fair for me to play with them. But, since I'm so much taller and faster, it wouldn't be fair." I put my arm around her shoulder and she giggled.

"Well, we can play tag if you want." I said quietly. She laughed quietly as I smirked. She turned to me as I sighed. I looked at her as she looked at me.

"Later." She said. I rubbed her arm and she sighed. "We'll tell them one day, but we'd better wait until we've gotten to know them a little more." She moved her lips near my ear. "But, since they can't hear us while they're inside their Pokéball, I know another game we could play." I smirked again as she kissed my cheek.

After a few minutes of watching the others play, they walked over and we returned them to their Pokéballs. Liz got up while I put a few things away. Wild Pokémon rarely bothered a tent, apart from looking at it, but for the most part they'd just leave it alone. They'd hardly ever attack a tent for any reason, especially because the more expensive tents had special repellents for just that purpose.

After taking care of what I had to, I walked into the tent and saw Liz in our sleeping bag, her dress on the small chair. She had a familiar smile and a very familiar look in her eyes, so I returned the smile as I removed my sunglasses and put them in my shirt pocket. As I walked over, I could smell her in the air. We now used a special spray to remove the scent from our bodies that was developed under the pretext that such a scent could potentially attract wild Pokémon that could try to hurt or force themselves on the Pokémon, or even the trainer.

She moved the bag back and I smiled at how beautiful she was. She was a little bit more muscular than when we traveled through Kanto, if only just. She still had the beautiful figure of a dancer, with long thin legs, a slim and supple figure, and her beautiful arms that I loved to caress at times like this. I felt my heart beating faster, so I smiled a little wider as I walked over. As I got closer, she teleported my clothes onto the chair near the one that held her dress.

"I never get tired of seeing just how beautiful you are." I said quietly. She smiled as I knelt between her legs. She moved up and I moved my arm around her as she kissed me. Her eyes closed as I rubbed her back slowly. She moved her legs up slightly and our tongues met. My other arm moved to her stomach and slowly moved my hand down and she moaned quietly as I started rubbing her womanhood. Her smell grew slightly stronger and I smiled into the embrace. She ended it and let out a quiet moan. "I love you, Mrs. Alastor." She smiled and kissed my lips lightly.

"And I love you, Mr. Alastor." She whispered. I moved my head down and kissed her neck as she rubbed my back for a moment before moving one hand down to my hardening need. She gently moved her fingers around me and slowly moved her hand back and forth as I rubbed her. I slowly kissed down to her collar and she continued stroking me slowly until I moved to her breasts. She slowly stopped and just held me as I kissed around her left breast, slowly licking the nipple before she gasped quietly. "Gene…" I slowly started sucking and she moaned quietly as a bit of milk flowed out. I would do this for her every day or so if I could. She didn't like how uncomfortable she felt if I didn't do this from time to time. After a few minutes the flow stopped and I opened my eyes as I moved my head back and licked my lips. "Gene, thank you." I moved up and kissed her lips softly.

"Anytime." I said quietly. "You know how much I love you, and how much I love your milk." She smirked and I kissed her again before she put her free hand on top of my head and pushed me down. "Yes dear, right away." She giggled as I kissed her other breast and closed my eyes again. As my lips closed around the nipple she started stroking me again while I moved a finger inside of her. She sighed quietly and I felt the familiar sensation of her love in my heart, and I found it difficult to distinguish if it actually was hers or mine.

"Mmm, thank you so much for this." She said quietly. "I know it must feel a little strange." I moved my right hand to the gem in her back and she moaned quietly as I moved my lips back. Her milk was sweet, as it always was. She was often nervous at first when I started doing this for her, but I always felt that it was another way to show her how important she was to me and how much I love her. When she was out of milk, I opened my eyes and smirked as I moved to kiss her gem. She arched her back a little from the surprise, and her hand slipped from me so she could put it on the ground, but I just kept moving my finger in and out of her, stopping only to add another digit. "Gene…" I kissed the side a few times before moving up and kissing her neck again. "Please, Gene, don't tease me." I kissed her chin a few times before she hugged me. I continued rubbing her and her gem as I kissed her lips, and she moaned quietly and frequently. When she ended the kiss she moved her head back slightly.

"I love you Liz." I whispered. I felt her getting warmer and warmer, and she just moaned and quietly cried out as I went to my usual move of kissing her neck softly as her hands moved along my back. After a few moments more of playing with her body she cried out and her warm juices covered my hand. I kissed her as she rode out the feeling, part of which flowed into me. After a few moments I ended the kiss and gently set her down. "So, happy?" Suddenly I found myself on my back with her over me with a devious smile.

"Very." She said. I moved my hand from her as she rubbed herself along my length for a few seconds. She slowly moved up and I lined up with her. She stayed above me for only a few seconds before lowering herself onto my lap with a quiet moan. I couldn't stop the small satisfied smile as she looked down at me. "Ready?" I used my psychic power to caress her gem and she smiled a little wider. She moved her hips slowly and lowered her body to mine and kissed me.

She wasn't as frisky as she used to be, but we regularly made love several times a week. We were careful at certain times each year though, to make sure she didn't get pregnant again. As much as we loved our daughter, we weren't ready for another child. She ended the kiss as she moved her hips a little faster.

I moved my hands around and up to her back, putting my thumbs against the sides of the gem. She moaned a little louder and moved up, so I leaned in and kissed her the gem in her chest. As her hips moved faster, her moans became slightly more frequent, though she was careful about how loud she got. There was no telling if there were other trainers in the cave.

"Gene…" She moaned quietly. I continued kissing her gem, rubbing the other, and thrusting up into her. "Harder." I smirked and complied with her request, which resulted in her moving her hips faster. I knew right where she was, so I moved my right hand under her and she looked down at me as I moved up. I kissed her and began touching that one little spot, and she cried out as she climaxed again. I wasn't far behind, and seconds later my hips slammed up against her and stayed there as I gave her my all. She moaned into my mouth as our tongues swirled around for a few minutes before she ended the kiss, breathing quietly as the sleeping bag covered us. "Oh, Arceus, I, I never get tired, of this." I rubbed her back and held her to me as I moved my right arm back around and up.

"I wholeheartedly, agree." I said quietly. She laughed quietly and kissed my cheek. I closed my eyes and just held her for a few minutes. The odds were I wouldn't be leaving her loving warmth for a good long while, not that I could muster the energy to complain, or the resolve. "So, are you ready to call it a night?" She laughed quietly and leaned back a little. She rubbed my chest for a moment and gave me the usual smirk. "I'll take that…" I teleported us so that I was on top of her. "As a no."  
…

I pulled my hat down tight and looked over at the exit to the cavern. After having sprayed myself with the scent cover, and after watching Liz do the same, I grabbed the Pokéballs while she finished getting dressed and started taking down the tent. I opened the Pokéballs and Melody and Drake appeared. Melody yawned while Drake simply put the piece of wheat in his mouth again.

"Good morning." I said.

"Good m-m-morning." Melody said through her yawn. Drake just nodded and grunted quietly. He turned to me and jumped up, so I held out my arm and he crawled onto my shoulder, swung down and held onto my shoulder like he was a small backpack. Liz walked over with my backpack on her back and I smiled at her while she picked Melody up and held her carefully. "S-so, are we going to go s-s-straight to the Gym?"

"I think we're ready for it." I said. "But if it's possible I'd like to watch someone else challenge Roarke. If not, I guess we can wing it." Liz giggled as we started walking.

"I h-h-hope we can, win." Melody said.

"I agree." Drake said. "After all, we are recent additions to your team, and we have only trained for a short time."

"Just remember the letter call system and we're set." I said. "Dodge whenever you're attacked and be proactive, attacking even if I've not called out the letters. If we're careful, and have good luck on our side, we should be able to beat Roark."

"And if Melody and I cannot win?" He asked.

"Then I might have to step in." Liz said. "In fact, if we start with Melody and she can't even hurt Roark's first choice, I will step in right away and pull out all the stops." I smiled.

"I'd l-like to see that." Melody said. "Y-y-you're really, strong, so I bet you'd j-just, destroy Roark's team!" I laughed quietly and nodded.

"That's why we'd rather wait until we need the big guns." I said. Liz used her psychic power to nudge me aside a little. "Hey, I'm just telling the truth." I looked at her. "Out of all of the Pokémon we know, how much stronger are you than the others? The one that comes closest would be Marie."

"Marie?" Drake asked.

"I had the good providence to catch a Mawile in the Kanto region." I explained. "Recently I decided to call her Marie. She wanted a name to distinguish herself a little more, kind of like how Melody did." Melody giggled. "Marie, being a steel type that learns dark type attacks and plenty of painful attacks, is quite a capable training partner for Liz. The others you've not met yet are Garth, a red Gyarados. I bought him when he was just a Magikarp, and I had no idea he would turn into a red Gyarados instead of a blue one." I looked ahead as we got closer to the exit. "He's not our strongest, and honestly he's best used in water battles, but water is hard to come by in Gyms, and they won't add a pool just to accommodate water specialization trainers. Though he's capable on land, I'd rather not chance his Gym battles unless we absolutely want to take advantage of his type in a fire type Gym."

"W-w-wow." Melody said.

"Then there's Sting." I said. "He's a Beedrill, and a really tough one at that. He's our aerial specialist. I've never seen a Beedrill as fast and agile as he is, and I've seen a lot of them. He could give a Pidgeotto a run for their money. And when he lets the Signal Beams fly, there'll be some sore opponents in the future. Out of all of the others, he's the fastest, and can do some damage with ranged moves." I smiled slightly as we walked out into the warm morning sunlight. "Ah, fresh air."

"There's fresh air in the cave." Liz said with a quiet laugh.

"Yeah, but it smells fresher out here." I said. "Doesn't smell like dirt and Zubat guano." She laughed as we looked at the nearby town. It was maybe a quarter mile, but that wasn't even a warm-up jog for either of us. "Anyway, we also have Vera, a Vulpix that, like Mawile, was caught in the Kanto region and we only recently gave her a distinguishing name. She has a lot of powerful fire attacks, and she's our second fastest on the ground."

"Who is the fastest?" Drake asked. Liz giggled as we walked, and she sped up a bit, prompting me to do the same.

"I am." Liz said. "We have all trained since we had to cancel our plans to go to the Kanto League. Admittedly it was partly my fault for that, so when I was able to I began training harder than I ever had before. I worked on more than just my psychic powers though, and by lifting weights and running a lot, I was able to get quite fast." She giggled. "I even learned how to do cartwheels and back-flips to avoid attacks. I'm quite good at avoiding attacks now." As we approached the town, I saw that there were a few hotels, one of which allowed Pokémon to stay. "So, after all of that training, we are going to take on the eight Gym Leaders of Sinnoh, and we will do our absolute best in the League this time."

"Indeed." Drake said. "I will give it my all."

"M-m-me too." Melody said happily.

"It's settled then." I said proudly. "We're going to the League, and we'll give it everything we've got."


	5. The Coal Badge

**Another Friday, another post, and I am pleased with it. This time we have a fair bit of action, a little bit of revelation of the past, and a few new characters are introduced. Speaking of new characters, one of their names you will recognize, but it's not who you think it is. They don't belong to a certain DragonLord we all know. Seth Dorjac and Ken belong to Major Mario. Thank you for creating them sir *Salutes*!**

**Thanks go to Mariokutai-Reincarnated for his help, and this time he's not alone in receiving those thanks. Thanks also go Chaotyx for being my new Beta Reader, and for spotting a few grammar spots that needed a little touching up.**

**Lastly, thank everyone that has read thus far, and I hope you all enjoy this new chapter. And without further ado…**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, as well as Major Mario, Mariokutai-Reincarnated, and Chaotyx, do not own the rights to Pokémon. If we did, well, the show would be a lot different, though the characters would have more interesting backgrounds.  
…**

"Wow, th-these Gyms are, b-b-big." Melody said quietly.

"Don't get him started." Liz said quietly. I let out a quiet annoyed groan. "Gene has been doing research on these Gyms for the past four years, looking all over for any information about one important thing."

"What would that be?" Drake asked. I let out another groan.

"The door." Liz said dramatically. I nodded and Melody giggled as Drake climbed up a bit.

"The door." He repeated. I nodded again. "What is important about the door?"

"The size of it." I said. "I get that it's important to have an air of importance, and that it can make young trainers think hard about how much they should train in order to be at their best, to get as strong as they believe they can. But, every Gym we've been to has had a door that's just too big. They don't close fast as well, or open fast in an emergency. If there's a fire, it's impossible to use the main door to escape." Melody nodded and I looked at the door. "A Gym burned down in Kanto, the Cinnabar Gym, and the most recognizable part that survived was, the door. They're big, nonflammable, and very durable. But mark my words, I'll figure it out someday, if just to satisfy my curiosity." Melody giggled again and I sighed. "But, it's time to go in, and show Roark what we can do."

"R-right." Melody said. "I-I'll freeze whatever he's g-got." Drake patted my shoulder and the door started opening. When it was half open we walked in and saw a man in a red hardhat, a grey short sleeved jacket with black and yellow bands on the ends of the sleeves, a black shirt under it, grey pants, and black boots with red soles. His hair was reddish brown and he wore black glasses.

"Hey, welcome to the Oreburgh Gym." He called. We walked in and he smiled. "I'm Roark, the Gym Leader."

"An honor to meet you." I said calmly. "I'm Gene." He smirked.

"I know." He said. "An old friend told me you were coming. I've been waiting." I smiled as he laughed. "I have to say I'm not looking forward to facing your Gardevoir. I can tell from here she'd wreck my whole team." Liz laughed as he crossed his arms. "But I'll go three on three if you want, if just to be fair."

"It's your Gym." I said. "I'll let you call the shots." He laughed as a man in a mining uniform walked out and stood at the sideline.

"Let's go three on three then." He said. He lowered his arms and grabbed a Pokéball. "Who's on first?" I looked at Melody and she nodded, so I knelt and set her down.

"Good luck Melody." I said. Roark laughed and opened the ball. A Geodude appeared and Melody jumped onto the field. Drake slid down and stood next to me and I sat down.

"Sitting down on the job?" Roark asked.

"Just relaxing." I said. "I'm confident that Melody can win." Melody hopped twice and struck a small fighting pose while Geodude held his arms up.

"Good luck." Roark said.

"Yeah, good luck." Geodude added. "You'll need it."

"We'll see." Melody said.

"If both sides are ready." The referee called. Roark and I nodded as Liz sat down on a nearby rock. "Begin!"

"Geodude, use Rock Polish, followed by Rock Throw!" Roark called.

"A, DC, JK." I called. Geodude started using Rock Polish by the time Melody started using Defense Curl, sped up greatly by her Agility. She then ran forward and jumped up high, using Jump Kick. Geodude was likewise sped up and grabbed a rock, throwing it hard at her. She kicked the stone and split it in half before landing.

"Magnitude!" Roark called.

"B to evade, follow with IB high." I said calmly. Geodude hit the ground hard just as Melody jumped high with Bounce, and she focused the Ice Beam and fired on her way up. The beam left a trail up to Geodude and froze his right arm to the ground. He pulled hard but was stuck fast as the ground shook. She landed and charged it again.

"Oh, crud, uh…" Roark mumbled. He looked up. "Rollout, quick!" Geodude broke his arm free and spun rapidly toward Melody just as she fired. The speed and friction of the Rollout disrupted the beam, and thanks to the dirt that was starting to cover Geodude, the ice was freezing it and causing it not to stick.

"DC!" I called. The beam stopped as Melody used Defense Curl again, but I felt somewhat worried. "E!" She crossed her arms and braced herself seconds before Geodude connected with her, pushing her back before rolling away. She staggered a bit and shook her head. "Wow, you really earned your position as Gym Leader." I stood up calmly and crossed my arms. "Okay Melody, let's go with DP." She nodded shakily and looked back. I gave a smirk and she looked back.

"Okay, Rollout again!" Roark called, pointing at Melody. "She's tough, but she can't take two in a row!" Melody's right ear began glowing as she ran forward. Geodude spun at her again and she threw the ear forward, letting Geodude get close before she raised him up and shot her ear forward, launching him into the air.

"Whoa!" Geodude called. Melody quickly fired an Ice Beam straight at him as he stabilized. He opened his mouth right as the beam hit him, covering him with ice crystals and weighing him down. When he landed, he just rolled back a little while Roark crossed his arms with a look of surprise. "Ow."

"Geodude, are you alright?" Roark asked.

"No." Geodude replied. Roark sighed and nodded.

"Geodude is unable to continue." The referee said. "Victory, Gene." Melody walked over and I knelt while I pulled out a Super Potion. I heard Roark talking to Geodude before recalling him, saying he gave it his best shot.

"Great job Melody." I said. She smiled as I handed it to her. She nodded as I looked at Drake. "So, think you can handle whatever's next?" He nodded and walked onto the field. Melody started using the potion while I stood up. Roark grabbed a Pokéball and smirked.

"I got this guy from the lab nearby." He said. "He's a real powerhouse, if a bit young." He opened the ball and the light took a form I hadn't seen before. "Cranidos!" When the light faded I saw a grey and blue two legged dinosaur looking Pokémon with a large head. It yawned quietly and looked at Drake, who stepped back as he put his wheat straw in his mouth.

"Well, this might be, difficult." He said quietly. "Nothing I shouldn't be able to handle though."

"Little guy?" Cranidos said. He turned to Roark. "A little green guy?"

"Don't count him as weak." Roark said. "See that Buneary?" Cranidos looked at Melody. "She took down Geodude. It wasn't easy for her, but she used some serious moves. Be careful." Cranidos nodded.

"Still, little guy." He said.

"If both sides are ready?" The referee called. We all nodded. "Begin!"

"Start off with Headbutt!" Roark called.

"Avoid with QA, use LS, and follow with Absorb." I said calmly. Cranidos ran forward and tried to slam his head down, but Drake used Quick Attack to dodge at the last second before pulling the wheat straw from his mouth and spat out a seed that landed on Cranidos' back. It rapidly sprouted and covered him with vines that began leeching energy from him. Leech seed had the added benefit of letting Absorb draw more energy than it usually could.

"Cranidos, use Leer, then Zen Headbutt!" Roark called quickly. Cranidos turned and leered at Drake, causing him to step back for a second before he rushed toward him. Cranidos' head glowed for a second before he tried to slam it down. Drake dodged, but a small shockwave from the attack caught him and threw him aside. "Hit him again, with another Zen Headbutt!" Drake got up as Cranidos turned, but before the attack could be launched, Drake jumped onto his head and gripped tightly with his small hooks. He started draining energy through the Leech Seed vines for a second before he moved his arms and legs under them for added grip. "Shake him off, quick!" Cranidos roared as he shook violently, but he couldn't dislodge Drake.

"Good work Drake, keep it up!" I called with a quiet laugh.

"Get, off of me!" Cranidos called. "Off!" He shook again and Drake put his wheat straw in his lips before settling in deeper in the vines. After a minute of struggling Cranidos knelt down and fell onto his side.

"Darn, that's, one fast Treecko." Roark said. Drake climbed down after pulling the seed free, which caused the vines to rapidly whither and break off. He walked back and tossed the seed on the ground.

"Good job Drake." I said. He nodded and jumped onto my arm and climbed to his spot on my shoulder, hanging down like he was a backpack.

"Well, I guess now it's up to my last guy." Roark said as he recalled Cranidos.

"Before we move on, how did you get that, Cranidos?" I asked. "You said you got him from a lab?" He nodded.

"My dad found the fossil a while back." He said. "Some fossils have the DNA of the Pokémon it's of, so they can clone them. I don't know the exact process, but it's possible for any fossil to be cloned into a Pokémon, with some changes so they can adapt to the modern world easier." I nodded as I thought about the prospect of having an ancient Pokémon.

"Interesting." I said. "I seem to recall a lab that I own that said they were working on the same kind of project." He nodded.

"They shared the data with our lab." He said. "There's another lab in the Hoenn region that has the same data."

"Hmm, sounds like a good idea." I said. "If a little, dangerous."

"It was, the first few tries." He said. "But they've very nearly perfected the process. If you find a fossil of a Pokémon, bring it to the lab here and they can clone the Pokémon for you."

"I might do that, if I ever stumble across a fossil." I said. "Well, shall we continue?" He nodded and pulled out his third Pokéball. Liz got up and walked onto the field with a smile. He opened the ball and a large Onix appeared. "You know, things were familiar with Geodude, but seeing an Onix brings back memories."

"Oh?" Roark asked. "How so?"

"Well, the first Gym Leader in Kanto, Brock, used a Geodude." I said. "I heard that he had an Onix as well, though we never faced it." He smiled as Liz giggled into her hand.

"You won't think I'm funny soon, little lady." Onix said.

"I wasn't laughing at you." Liz said. "I was laughing at the irony that both Brock and Roark have Onix friends." She looked up at him. "And I hope you don't mind if I make this quick. We have to meet someone in a few days." Onix laughed quietly.

"If both sides are ready?" The referee called. Liz nodded as I sat down again.

"Good luck Liz." I said calmly. "And to you as well Onix. I certainly don't envy the frustration you're about to go through." Roark just nodded with a smile.

"Win or lose, I get to say I gave it my all against you." He said. "After all, you got six of the Kanto badges. I don't know why you stopped, but I bet the last two Gyms wouldn't have caused you too much trouble, if any at all."

"Begin!" The ref called.

"Onix start off with Dragon Breath and follow up with Bind!" Roark called. Onix opened his mouth and exhaled a wave of green flames at Liz, but the flames were deflected by her barrier. When the flames stopped Onix rushed forward and moved his tail end around her and tried to close it around her, but when he did he was met with resistance. "What's going on?"

"Liz is a powerful Gardevoir." I said calmly. "She's always got a psychic barrier out during a battle to protect herself. We spent four years out of the game, and we didn't spend that time sitting around. We trained hard, and came up with plenty of strategies." Roark bit his lip before smiling.

"Onix, use Bite!" He called. "That should break through easy." Onix moved his tail end away as Liz looked up. He moved his head toward her and crashed into the ground, making a large cloud of dust. When it cleared, Onix raised his head, and Liz was standing on the top of his head fin. "Onix, shake your head! She's on top of you!"

"Liz, I think you've had enough fun for now!" I called. She giggled as Onix shook rapidly, but she just stood there on top of his head as if she were glued to him. She vanished and appeared in front of me before holding up her right hand. Onix rose as Roark put his hands to his head.

"Oh man, Onix!" He called.

"Put me down!" Onix called. "I don't like this!"

"I give!" Roark called. "We give up!" He laughed. "We, we can't win! We surrender!" Liz set Onix down and the large rock snake moved his head to the ground like he was kissing it. "I should have known better. You're just way too good for the likes of us Liz." She giggled as he walked over. He put one hand on Onix as he pulled out the Coal Badge. Liz held out her hand and he gave it to her. "Thanks for a great battle. I hope I'll see you up at the league this time."

"I hope we get there too." I said. I picked up Melody and stood up while Liz walked over. The badge case came out of my jacket and she opened it. The old six badges were in there, but I'd modified it with multiple tiers. She flipped the first row up and put the Coal Badge in. "And we'll give it our all."

"I'll see you there." He said. "And say hi to the Eterna City Gym Leader for me."

"Sure." I said. I tipped my hat and we turned before I stopped myself to look back. "By the way, you wouldn't know about the whole reason behind why the doors of every Gym are so big, would you?"

"Why?" He asked.

"Well, I'm just curious about it." I said. "It's something that's been in my mind ever since Saffron City. Every Gym has big doors. I've got theories, but I'd like to put it to bed."

"Now that you mention it, I've wondered that myself." He said with a laugh. I laughed and turned to the door.

"Thanks anyway." I said. "One day I'll figure it out."

"See you around." He said.

"Thanks for the battle Roark." I said. "I might be back in a few weeks with a friend, maybe sooner."  
…

We walked out of Oreburgh, Melody being held by Liz and Drake holding onto the back of my right shoulder. Liz carried the backpack, mostly because she was starting to like the weight of it. It was close to sundown, but we could cover a good bit of distance by the time it got too low, which wouldn't be for a little over an hour and a half by my guess.

"It's a n-n-nice day." Melody said.

"It is." Liz said. "That's one reason we travel."

"That is why my old trainer started." Drake said. "The peace and quiet of the open road, travelling wherever he wanted to go, and plenty of sunshine and fresh air, up until he decided it wasn't for him."

"Well, we're not about to stop travelling." I said. "My mother got me interested in training in the first place, and she had a Gardevoir like Liz, the same kind of blue hair and dress, though mom's Gardevoir had red eyes and a red gem, like a green Gardevoir. She did great in the League."

"R-r-really?" Melody asked. I nodded.

"She made it to the final round her first time with Mary, her Gardevoir." I said proudly. "Her opponent put up a fight though, one that came down to the wire. She told me that it was a split last second miss that made the difference." I remembered the story well. "Mary used a Hyper Beam, and her opponent was a Weavile, a really fast one. She'd managed to clip his leg with Magical Leaf to slow him down, but he managed to avoid the attack at the last second, and he responded with a Shadow Claw."

"Wow." Melody said quietly. I nodded.

"The second time she entered though, she was ready." I said. "She made it to the finals, as did the same man that had the Weavile. The same Pokémon from the year before, the same strategies played out, at first. It came down to that same Weavile and Mary, but this time they both had improved a lot. But, mom and Mary had put their hearts and souls into their training, as had their friends. In the end, they met the _exact_ same situation. Weavile wasn't at his fastest thanks to a Magical Leaf clipping his legs."

"What did y-your mom and Mary d-d-do?" Melody asked.

"Mom knew that a Hyper Beam would leave Mary exposed." I said. "So she had Mary use a new tactic. She had Mary charge the Hyper Beam, but instead of just firing it, she had Mary hold her hands out like she was going to fire it, and Weavile immediately jumped out of the way of what he thought was the final attack." I smiled. I'd seen a video of that match, and I memorized the whole match. "But the hit didn't come right away. As he got up, Mary had left a double of herself and he rushed at her, only to cut the double in half. That's when he turned to see Mary with her hands in his face."

"And she b-b-b-blasted him, all the way back t-to his ball!" Melody said cheerily.

"That's exactly what she did." I said. "She used that Hyper Beam with all of her remaining strength and left him in a four foot crater." Melody and Drake whistled together. "In fact, I'm trying to help Liz learn Hyper Beam. I've heard of some Pokémon so strong with their will that they can fire off a Hyper Beam and not get too tired from the strain."

"You can use attacks like we can, right?" Drake asked. I nodded.

"I've learned a fair few." I said. "I'm quite good with close range attacks, but my psychic abilities are nothing to scoff at. I might try to learn Hyper Beam as well. If I can learn moves like Psycho Cut and Close Combat, maybe I can get the hang of the higher end moves."

"Once I get the hang of it, I'll help you." Liz said. I smiled as we walked. We were silent for a few minutes before we heard a sound.

"Ken, you're lost." A young man's voice said.

"Oh, and you're not?" Ken asked sarcastically.

A young man and a Blaziken stepped out of the trees. The young man was pale, probably seventeen years old, about five foot eight, probably one hundred and fifty pounds with a bit of an average build. He had short dark brown hair, dark green eyes behind reading glasses resting on his forehead, and a short full beard. He wore a green shirt, over which was tan jacket. He had tan pants with a belt, on which were five Pokéball. I saw a green backpack over his shoulder, and he had a black and green Pokétch.

"Oh, hello, are you coming from Oreburgh?" He called.

"We are." I said. "I guess you're on your way there?"

"Yes, we are." He said. They walked over and Ken looked at me. His eyes were on Drake. "I'm Seth, Seth Dorjac." He held out his hand and I took it.

"Gene Alastor." I said. He stopped and looked at me intently. "Yeah, _that_ Gene Alastor. I get that look a lot." He laughed as I shook his hand.

"I'd heard you just got in the other day." He said.

"We did." I said. "And I'm already making friends." He let go of my hand and I gestured to Liz. "This is my best friend Liz, and my new friend Melody." Seth nodded and Ken looked to her and winked at Liz. She blushed and giggled quietly.

"Hello." Ken said. Seth put his hand on his chest and laughed.

"Let it go Ken." He said. Ken laughed quietly as Liz walked over to me.

"It's nice to meet you." Liz said.

"L-l-likewise." Melody said quietly.

"And this is Drake." I continued.

"Hello." Drake said.

"I guess they're new to your group." Seth said. I nodded with a small smile.

"Yes, and I'm glad to have new friends." I said.

"So, now that we're done with the pleasantries, this is the road to Oreburgh?" Ken asked. Seth groaned quietly.

"It is." I said. "We just recently beat Roark."

"How was the match?" Ken asked.

"We just met them, Ken." Seth said.

"I don't mind talking about this kind of thing." I said. "And he was a decent challenge."

"To m-m-me and Drake." Melody said quietly.

"So, I guess, you had Liz stay back?" Seth asked.

"No, I fought Roark's Onix." She said. "But I didn't really, well, do any real fighting. I just blocked one attack, jumped on his head, and picked him up before Roark surrendered. He didn't want Onix getting, pretty much ruined." Ken laughed while Seth seemed to be holding his in.

"Okay, hand over the Buneary and the Treecko!" A voice suddenly called. We looked over and saw a couple of men with strange off white and dark gray outfits with a stylized 'G' on the chests.

"And, you are?" I asked calmly.

"We are Team Galactic!" The one on the right called. "We intend to use the energy of evolution to create a perfect world of our own!"

"And with your Pokémon, we'll be that much closer to our goal!" The other said.

"So, you're going to try to kidnap my friends, to create, a new world?" I asked.

"I've heard about these people." Seth said. "They're really, crazy."

"We are not crazy!" They said together.

"Our leader has found a way to make it happen!" The left one said. "And we will help him!"

"Well, admirable as your plan is, you aren't about to take my friends." I said calmly. "So if you'll kindly be on your way, we can get back to our conversation." They pulled out their Pokéball and Liz sighed.

"So, what do you say to a tag-team beatdown?" I asked. Seth looked at me.

"Me and Liz against these jokers?" Ken asked.

"Might as well send them a message." Liz said quietly. She held Melody out to me and I took her calmly.

"Ken, I'll let you handle this one." Seth said.

"Are you gonna talk or are we gonna do this?" The right one called. He summoned a Skuntank while his partner summoned a Drapion.

"Whoa, big guns." Ken said. Liz giggled as she walked over.

"I don't know about that." Liz said. "But, I'll handle the Drapion."

"Are you sure?" Seth asked. "It's, a pretty mean Dark type." Liz waved with her eyes closed.

"Oh, don't worry about me." She said. "I've handled a fair few powerful Dark types during my training. The trick is not to use my psychic power." The Galactic men growled and I laughed.

"I guess we'd better send them away." I said calmly. "Liz, you might want to go easy on them." She giggled as Ken cracked his knuckles.

"You boys ready?" Liz asked sweetly. The Galactic boys growled and the one on the right pointed at her.

"Drapion, use Dark Pulse!" He called.

"Skuntank, use Toxic on that Blaziken!" The other called. Liz teleported to avoid the Dark Pulse while Ken jumped over the Toxic liquid.

"Hold still!" Skuntank yelled.

"Stupid psychic type!" Drapion roared.

"Drapion, behind you!" One of the men called.

"Skuntank, dodge that…" The other called. Drapion turned quickly while Ken delivered a powerful Sky Uppercut that sent the Skuntank flying into the air several feet, only to land at his master's feet, out cold. Liz on the other hand was lazily dodging claw swipes of the angry Drapion.

"Liz is, fast." Seth said.

"She trained more than just her psychic powers." I said proudly. "She trained her body to be strong as well. She's at least three times as physically strong as an average Gardevoir, and about that much faster." Seth whistled. "Some trainers start with the regional fire, grass, or water type, but I wasn't about to start unless I could have a Ralts." Liz's right fist crackled with lightning and she dashed at Drapion.

"Drapion, do something!" The Galactic called. "Do something!" The Thunder Punch connected and sent Drapion skidding back for a second before she hit him again. He stumbled back and she hit him with an uppercut that made lifted him onto his hind legs before he fell onto his side. "No!"

"You boys better go before I get serious." Ken said. "Or worse, she gets serious." Liz gave a quick manic grin and the Galactics recalled their Pokémon and took off running.

"We'll remember this!" One called.

"Yeah, you're not allowed in the world we're making!" The other yelled. We all laughed while they ran off into the setting sun.

"That was fun." Ken said. "Oh, shoot, I could have told them to get some space." I laughed as Liz walked over and took Melody from my arms.

"Well, it's getting late." I said. "I misjudged the sun a little, and we'll probably set up camp nearby."

"We'll be, on our own a ways from here." Seth said. "I kind of, like to write stories before I go to bed."

"Sounds like a good way to spend the evening." I said. I held out my hand and he took it. "See you in the morning I guess, if we see you."

"Likewise." He said.

"We'll be set up over here if you need us, or if you want to talk." Liz said. She walked past Ken and jumped slightly. "Hey, watch your hands now." She looked at him as he raised his hands.

"Ken, come on, what did you do?" Seth asked.

"He grabbed my…" Liz said, blushing. She glared at him. "Hands to yourself, Ken. I won't warn you next time, I'll just put you up a tree."

"Okay, sorry." Ken said. "I just, you know, think you're cute." She turned and walked over to me with a deeper blush.

"Ken, not cool." Seth said. I laughed as we walked toward the other side of the path.

"See you in the morning." I said.  
…

Liz crawled into the sleeping bag with her back to me and I moved my arm around her. Melody and Drake had talked for a while, mostly about how strong Liz seemed, but also about me. They wanted to hear more stories about our past battles, but also about my mother and Mary. It really brought back memories of what I'd heard from my mother and the videos I'd seen when she was battling.

"Gene?" Liz asked.

"Yeah, love?" I replied quietly.

"I'm, still pretty, right?" She asked.

"I certainly think so." I said quietly. "And Ken thought so, enough to try to grab you." She smiled and I took her hand. "So, put him up a tree for a quick squeeze?" She smirked and looked at me.

"Only you get to touch me." She said quietly. I kissed her cheek. "And I'm the only one who gets to touch you." I kissed her cheek again. "Come on, let's get some sleep. We've got a long way to go to the next town." She moved closer and sighed quietly. "Good night."

"Good night, honey." I said quietly.


	6. A lost egg

**Today is a pretty good day. Woke up a little late, bit of a crick in my neck, but otherwise it's a good day. Why, you may ask? Is it because it's Friday? No. Is it because I'm posting? No. Well, it's both of these, plus one more thing. Today is my birthday, and I'm feeling good about it. Not much planned, but I'm having a good day nonetheless.**

**That said, I've not yet heard back from my betas. I hope I've gotten all the mistakes in this chapter, but if not, I've done my best. If anyone out there spots a mistake or something that needs fixing, let me know. Bear in mind that I did this chapter fairly quickly so I could update it today.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do not own the rights to Pokémon. Thank you, and have a nice day.  
…**

I slowly moved the toothbrush as I looked out across the lake, toward the sunrise. It was almost completely up, and the clouds were nearly back to the normal color. The sight certainly helped invigorate me and wake me up. I switched the side I was brushing and let out a quiet sigh.

'There's a sight that even my money can't buy.' I thought. 'Not that I'd want to. This is something anyone can love, even if they don't truly appreciate it.' I let out another sigh and heard Liz giggle behind me.

"Gene, I've got a surprise for you." She said sweetly. I smiled and turned, but what I saw shocked me and made me jump back. The ground at the edge of the lake slid out from under where I landed and I ended up falling into the water with a loud yelp. I sank quickly, the toothbrush held tightly between my teeth and the cup of water that I was holding was somewhere far into the lake. I felt her amusement and joy, so I surfaced slowly with a concerned look. She had a big smile, and in her arms, I just couldn't believe it. She snickered as I looked at her face. "I, I never thought you'd…" She laughed quietly. "Oh, you should see the look on your face." I moved to the shore and looked at her. She was holding a dark blue and gray egg, which was the source of my shock. I knew it wasn't hers, but the sight before that thought crossed my mind, I was lucky I didn't drown.

"And here I thought we were being careful." I said quietly. She smiled a little more as I walked up onto the shore and removed the toothbrush from my mouth and she laughed quietly as I shook my feet. "Well, at least I didn't have my duster and boots on. That would have ruined them." She laughed more as I walked over to her and put my free hand on the egg gently.

"I think he was abandoned." She said quietly. I looked into her eyes. "I think, I want to keep him. It wouldn't be right to leave him here, if someone mean came to take him." I nodded.

"Okay." I said. "Better to let him have a place among those who will respect him than chance having him found and raised by someone that would abuse him." She smiled as I moved my hand back. "But, I do have a question."

"Yes?" She asked.

"How are we sure it's a 'he'?" I asked. She smiled.

"Call it a, maternal feeling." She said quietly. I nodded with a smirk.

"That's all from me then." I said. "Now I'm going to dry off and get ready to go. We've got plenty of ground to cover, and a forest to go through after all." She giggled as I teleported to the tent, leaving the water behind, just like I had the night when we'd first made love. It was something I did whenever I took a bath or a shower. I then spent a few seconds thinking before teleporting my clothes onto my body. We did have a ways to go, though I wondered what would become of Seth and Ken, and I wondered if we could spare the time to watch their Gym Battle. As I walked out of the tent it began folding quickly. "Okay, rise and shine guys." I pulled the Luxury Balls and summoned the others. Melody yawned and stretched while Drake put his straw between his lips. "Morning."

"G-good morning." Melody said tiredly. Drake just walked over and jumped onto my side, climbing around and up to my shoulder. I felt him nearly drop when he looked at Liz though. "Wow, an egg!" Liz giggled as Drake caught himself and climbed back up. "Wh-where did you g-g-get it?"

"I found it near the base of a tree, hidden behind a bush." She replied. "I was just taking a walk when I saw it out of the corner of my eye. An abandoned egg, hidden away. I was worried, so I picked him up."

"Him?" Drake asked.

"I can tell." Liz said quietly. "I just know it's a boy." I felt my backpack and smiled at her as it slid onto my back, carefully moving the strap around Drake so it wouldn't grip him painfully. She looked happier than usual, no doubt due to the egg. "When this egg hatches, we'll have a new little friend. I hope we can be a good family to him." I smiled and picked Melody up. She laughed as I looked at Liz.

"Sounds good." I said. "He'll have a kind mother." Her smile positively glowed as we started walking. She was beside me, the little dark blue and gray egg held to her body protectively.

"So, did you remember your music player?" She asked after a second. I nodded and moved a psychic hand into my pocket to find it, though I looked behind us and saw Seth and Ken arguing as they walked toward Oreburgh. "What is it?"

"Those two act like brothers." I said. She giggled as I started looking ahead before sending out a psychic touch to tap Seth's shoulder, making him look away from Ken before glaring at him. I laughed as I looked ahead. "Okay, what song are we thinking?" The music player, a small iPod with good speakers, floated in front of me and turned on. I took a second to look at it. It was Gallade Green, and the button was a familiar red. She made a quiet musing sound before smiling.

"I think, Good to be me, Uncle Kracker." She said. I smiled and selected the song while Melody tapped my arm.

"What's that?" She asked.

"This is an iPod." I said. "It plays music, and holds a lot of it. This is the best one a guy I know could recommend." She laughed as the song started playing, and I started tilting my head from one side to the other as it floated into the pocket again.  
…

We walked down the path for a few hours, and so far we hadn't seen anyone new. There was no sign of other trainers on the road, none that I could see or sense, and Liz made no mention of seeing or sensing anyone either. But it was a quiet day, and the weather was calm, if a bit cloudy.

"Gene?" Melody asked. I looked at her. "When d-d-do you think we can t-try that hypnosis?"

"I still need the books, but I sent for a friend to get them to me." I said. "We'll get them in Eterna at the Pokémon Center." She nodded and I moved a hand to her head, rubbing the spot between her ears and making her laugh.

"Thanks." She said quietly. "I, I'm r-r-really grateful. This st-st-stutter really, sucks."

"I'm glad you're doing this as well." Liz said. "It's very nice of you." I smiled as she moved a little closer. "But are you sure you can do it?"

"Shouldn't be that difficult." I said. "From what I do know of it, I just have to use Hypnosis, talk in a slow and calm manner, and make gentle suggestions." I shrugged. "That's what the guy remembered anyway. I could be off a little, but I know for a fact I got the Hypnosis part right." The girls laughed while Drake patted my shoulder.

"You're a good friend." He said. "I knew you were a good trainer, but I'm glad you're a good man as well. I'm thankful you decided to take me along." I used my psychic power to pat his back.

"We all have our dreams and wishes." I said. "You wanted to travel and test yourself. Who am I to say that your dream had to wait for someone else to come along? And I was also looking for friends who could help in this journey." I looked at him. "I consider myself a decent judge of potential. I can tell you'll be a powerful addition to the team." He smiled as I looked ahead at the forest. "And here we have, Eterna Forest… Now that I think of it, I should check the guide and see what we'll be up against." I made the guide float out of my coat. The pages flipped as we continued walking. "Let's see, Eterna City… Here we…" I started laughing and Liz looked over at me as I stopped walking, leaning forward slightly. "Oh, oh you've, this isn't the right guide, or s-something." Liz put a hand on my shoulder as I slowly stopped laughing. "Oh, look who it is." I turned the guide and she smiled.

"Wow, I never would have guessed." She said. "Who knew Gardenia was a Gym Leader?"

"I should study this thing before we go much past Eterna." I said. "Honestly, another surprise like this and I might drop Melody." Drake laughed and Melody's ears shot up, one popping me in the chin while the other nearly knocked him off of my shoulder. "Hey, what did I do?" She giggled as I looked at her. "Drake's the one who laughed. I just made an observation." She put her hands to her mouth and I rubbed her head with my hand. "Well, regardless of this notion, she uses grass types mainly. So I want to go into this with maybe a bug type, but I know from past experience that my good friend Sting has proven that type advantage isn't everything. Melody, you're still in though." She looked up. "Ice Beam." She smiled. "Liz? What do you say to introducing Gardenia to that match she wanted to see, against her best?" She nodded with a smile. "Okay then, that's two. We'll have to see how many others she uses, but still, maybe we should try for a new member of the team. Just so we can make sure we're ready for the future."

"Sounds like a plan." Liz said cheerily. "So, what do you think we'll find?"

"No idea." I said calmly. "But hey, we'll figure something out." They all laughed as we walked in.

We walked for a little while, looking all around. I saw a few bug Pokémon, but not many that I felt would have an advantage over Gardenia's Tangela. I only knew of him, but the rest of her team was a mystery, and for all I knew, her Tangela had possibly evolved to a Tangrowth. There was no telling what could happen in four years.

"Gene, do you think we can, maybe visit with her before we battle her?" Liz asked. I nodded.

"I think so." I said. "After all, she is a friend, and we haven't even talked to her in four years. I'm sure she'll be surprised when we show up…" I smiled. "Hey, what do you say we, break out some old outfits? I'm sure she'll be surprised." She looked at me and I smiled a bit wider. "Remember Koga?" She nodded slowly and smiled.

"Oh." She said quietly. "I like the way you think."

"Koga?" Melody asked. I looked at her and rubbed her head.

"A nice guy from Kanto, a Gym Leader." I said. "He was pretty cool, and it was the thought that he'd be a dangerous opponent that led to the letter call for attacks. And we were right. He put up a good fight." She nodded as I looked at the path. "For such a match, he let us keep some cool outfits. Luckily I decided to pack them. Arceus knows why I did, but I did."

"I look forward to seeing this outfit." Drake said. I heard a rustling and looked over and saw something odd. "What is it?"

"I saw something moving." I said. I heard an odd sound, one I couldn't place right away.

"Gene?" Liz asked. "Over there." I looked at her and followed her gaze and saw something moving quickly. It was white and orange, and quite fast.

"Familiar." I said. I heard the sound behind me and I set Melody and Drake down. "I'll see if I can't catch up to this. Maybe we'll make a new friend." I watched around and saw the movement going around, so I took off as fast as I could toward it. I kept tracking it and skidded to a halt and ran alongside what I saw, and I kept my eye on it.

"Whoa, he's, f-f-fast!" Melody said in a surprised tone. I knew what it was that I was looking at, a Ponyta. I smile as I used my psychic powers to make my strides last just a fraction longer, letting me gain a little ground. Using that advantage I dashed ahead of it and skidded to a halt, breathing hard as it stopped.

"Hi there." I said. It took a few steps back but watched me as I put my hands on my waist. "Whoo, you're pretty quick."

"As are you." She said. I looked at the ground with a small smile. "How do you run so fast? You cannot be human." I held up a hand and let out a quiet breath.

"Let's just say I'm not your average guy." I said. I let out another breath and gestured to the clearing. "Why don't you come by and say hello, since you seem to be interested in us." She looked over and I slowly walked toward the others. "Whoo, you're something else." She walked with me and stopped a few feet from us

"Are you okay?" Liz asked. I nodded.

"I'm good." I said. I turned as Ponyta looked us over. "So, I take it you find us interesting?" She nodded.

"Yes." She said. "I've, seen you. I watched you from afar, until I saw you fight those men yesterday. I wish to travel, and I would only trust my well being to a competent trainer. I can tell you treat your friends well." She stepped back and her mane flared. "But I wish to challenge you."

"Okay." I said. I began turning to Liz when the Ponyta nickered quietly.

"Not your Gardevoir." She said. I turned to her as she shook her head. "You are fast, and I have seen your arm, and the blade. I want to see if you are strong." I smirked. "Yes, I saw you fall into the lake." I nodded and closed my eyes for a second.

"I cannot sense anyone else." Liz said quietly. "It is safe." I nodded and removed my backpack, setting it next to Drake. I then removed my jacket and set it on Liz's shoulders and she smiled as I turned to Ponyta. As I walked over to the middle of the clearing I slowly rolled up my above the arm blade, growing it as it was free.

"I should let you know, I'm a little rusty." I said. "I haven't had a proper battle in a while." She nodded and slowly tapped one hoof on the ground. I adopted a basic hand to hand stance. 'Four legged… What was that formula? Avoid ramming attacks, aim for the main body, and don't get too close to the hooves.' I walked around and she watched me calmly. "Are you ready?" She nodded and I prepared my mind to teleport to avoid some of her moves. 'Fire type, means ranged attacks, so a barrier to catch and deflect them, and she might have Stomp and perhaps something more painful, like Headbutt.' She suddenly charged me and I prepared a little trick I had learned, one that I wasn't particularly fond of. My muscles suddenly increased in size by a good deal, making me look something akin to a professional bodybuilder, and I grappled her and skidded backward.

"What's that?" Drake asked.

"Strength!" I groaned. "Increases the strength, of muscles!" I jumped over Ponyta and landed as she turned. "It lets the user do some things that require brute force." I let the focus of the move go and cleared my throat. "Luckily the muscle increase leave a little behind each time." The others laughed as Ponyta opened her mouth at me. I focused a barrier as the flames moved toward me, but as it got close it fanned out and suddenly she was running at me. Not having the fortune to use Strength again, I went for something a little faster. I dodged quickly to the side as my arm blade grew, and I used Leaf Blade on her. She cried out quietly as I spun around, holding my arm out as the blade along my arm looked nearly neon green. "Leaf Blade. I thought for sure I was going to flub that one."

"Well, you're, strong after all." Ponyta said. "That, that Leaf Blade, was powerful." I nodded and took a stance with my blade held in front of me, my left arm hanging loosely at my side, a bit of electricity crackling along it. "I hope you're ready, for this." She started running at me and suddenly she was nearly in my face. I gritted my teeth in a nervous grin, but just before she reached me I had readied a Double Team move and I teleported off to the side. As she passed through my copy, she looked over while I ran up to her. I threw the Thunder Punch, but missed as she jumped, but I spun around and swung down with my blade, which knocked her back a little. She staggered and panted. "F-false, Swipe?" I nodded as she lowered herself slightly. "You, are strong. I believe, you are a great trainer, and a powerful fighter. I, submit." I nodded as a Full Restore floated out of my pack toward us.

"So, if you'll be on our team, would you mind a different name?" I asked. She looked at me as I started spraying the powerful healing substance on her small cuts. "It's a way to set you apart from other Ponyta, and a way to help others not confuse you with others as well." She nodded as I started moving my hand along the spots I sprayed. "Okay, I'll think on that for a while. But, so far, I'm thinking of calling you, Julie." She nodded as I sprayed the False Swipe mark.

"I like that." She said quietly. "A good name." We were quiet as I went over the last of the hits. "You are, not entirely human."

"One eighth Gallade." I said. "It's mostly to protect Liz, as was the agreement I made with her parents. It took around a week, but a few scars he gave me changed my arm and my right eye." She looked at me as I slowly lowered my hand. "And that should be it." She nodded as I turned to my pack. A Luxury Ball floated over and I took it, but put it in my pocket before rolling my sleeve down again. "How do you feel?"

"I feel better." She said. "Thank you."

"Don't worry." I said. "I always look out for my friends." She nodded as I held out my left arm, and my duster slid over it, and I moved my other arm into its sleeve. "We'll have to show you our methods. Have you seen the letter call technique yet?" She shook her head. "It's easy enough to grasp."  
…

I sat down by the campfire as Liz sighed, holding the egg in front of her. She looked almost exactly like she did back when Angel was still small enough for her to be held in Liz's arms. I could feel that familiar sense of love, motherly love, and it made me smile as I moved my hand to hers.

"I know what you're thinking." She said quietly. "I, feel like a new mother again." I smiled and moved closer to her. "I can't wait to see Angel again. I'm sure she'll be happy to see us."

"We'll see her very soon." I said. "Don't worry." She giggled and looked at me. "Where should we put our little friend?" She sighed and rubbed the shell of the egg slowly.

"He's close." She said. Her eyes were brighter than usual, so I moved my hand to hers as she looked at me. "I think we'll meet him sometime in the next few days. I just hope we can help him grow strong." I smiled and she slowly moved her hand up slightly, turning her palm over and closing her fingers around mine. "Gene, what should we name him? I, I want him to know we'll care for him. He might just see us as his parents after all."

"Hmmm, what about, Max?" I asked. She looked at the egg with a small smile.

"Max." She said quietly. She stared at the egg and smiled. "Yes, Max. That should make him happy."


	7. An eventful morning

**I meant to update this last week, but for some reason was giving me a little bit of trouble, not letting me edit Pokemon stories, among others. It was on a limited thing, but as of 3/31/11 at 10:14 AM, I'm finally able to post. This is one of those rare times I'm willing to post before Friday, mostly because I'm glad everything is back to normal, hopefully for good.**

**Before you start reading, know that I consider this more or less a filler chapter to introduce a couple of characters and **_**re**_**introduce an old friend we all knew we'd see. Now that we're done with that, onto the thanks.**

**Thanks goes to Ryzor for the youngest character to be introduced. You'll know him when you see him, and he'll have his time in the spotlight in the next chapter. For now, he's just being introduced.**

**And thanks also go to Chaotyx for pre-reading the chapter and spotting any errors and helping fix the flow.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I still do not own the rights to Pokémon… Nor am I trying to acquire said ownership.  
…**

I pulled the forehead guard down over my right eye before I pulled the mask up over my mouth and nose. Liz was putting her outfit on as well. I was somewhat surprised mine still fit, but more surprising was that the muscles in my arms seemed more defined than usual. Overall it felt tighter than the one time I'd worn it before, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Really, it felt good to know that my hard work had paid off.

"Wow, you look good in that." Liz said quietly. I looked over at her and she smiled as she looked me over.

"You look quite lovely as well." I said quietly. She giggled as she half turned, the egg held gently in front of her. "One of these days we'll have to go to a costume party like this." She turned and I smiled as my backpack settled on my shoulders. "So, do you think we should wait for her by the Gym and surprise her, or maybe, inside the Gym?"

"Do you think she'd mind?" She asked.

"We've got time to kill." I said. "We teleport inside, get a look around, and then we'll talk to her. We'll drop the others off at the Center so they can rest for a while, and Julie can learn the letter call and the other basic tactics." She nodded and moved closer. "So, let's hurry and get to the Gym. Maybe we'll be in luck and the window will be open." She nodded and started jogging forward quickly, teleporting to the branches like she was jumping. I was close behind her, but I actually jumped from one branch to another. When we reached the end she landed softly and ran toward the city while I kept close. The others were on my belt so they wouldn't be jostled and forced to hang on to keep from falling.

When we finally made it to the city we kept to the shadows, and it was more of a game than anything else. It was just too much fun hiding from what few people were outside. When we got to the Gym though we found no open windows, so we teleported in, and I wasn't really surprised.

"Wow." Liz whispered. "Trees, all over."

"Indeed." I said quietly. "So, near the entrance, or at the back?"

"Let's hide near the entrance." She replied quietly. I nodded and we crept to the front and hid in the denser area near the path leading to the door. We waited for a few minutes before we heard the door unlocking. I looked over and saw a familiar silhouette walking toward a light switch. "There she is." I nodded as Gardenia turned on the lights. Some Gym Leaders were known to arrive early to prepare for challengers, and Gardenia was no exception. "So, how do we go about it?"

"I think, I'll go out first, without my hat, and you can step out when she asks where you are." I replied. She nodded and I looked over to Gardenia. As she walked into the middle of the room I smiled. "See you in a sec." Liz kissed my cheek and I teleported to the top branch of a tree, being careful not to let it creak. I stood up and leaned against it before using Double Team to leave copies on several branches, finishing by hiding in the middle of the darker foliage. "Gardenia, long time no see!" My voice carried and she looked around, spotting one of my copies.

"Who, who are you?" She called. The copy vanished and she stepped back, looking around until she saw them all vanish. I teleported behind her with a wide smile. She stepped back and bumped into me, yelping and jumping forward before turning, holding a Pokéball out and staring at me. "Who… Wait…" I smiled wider and she lowered her arm. "Gene?"

"In the flesh." I said. She laughed and put the ball on her belt.

"It's been ages." She said quickly. She moved up to me and hugged me, and I slowly returned the gesture.

"It has." I said, patting her back. She stepped back with a bright smile.

"How've you been?" We asked together. I laughed and gestured to her as she smiled.

"I've been okay." She said. "I got back a few weeks after you, just up and vanished. I didn't even find out that you'd left the island until Blaine told me that you had to leave his hotel." I raised my eyebrow.

"His hotel?" I asked. "I didn't know he owned one."

"The Big Riddle Inn." She said. I blinked. "He was the old hippie." I touched my chin and thought for a minute as she laughed. "He loves riddles. He used to have a challenge for trainers involving a choice between battling a trainer or solving a fairly difficult riddle."

"Huh." I said quietly.

"So, where's Liz?" She asked. I smirked as I looked up a little, and just as expected Liz was standing behind her.

"She's closer than you think." I said. She looked behind her and jumped again.

"Oh!" She exclaimed. "Liz, you scared me." She looked at the egg and gasped. "Oh, an egg. Is it yours?"

"Well, kind of." Liz said. Gardenia touched the egg with a quiet sound. "I found him at the base of a tree, abandoned. The poor little thing was, so lonely, I just had to pick him up."

"What do you think he'll be?" Gardenia asked.  
…

I raised the small cup to my lips as the girls talked, and I looked down at the book on hypnotism. It wasn't even as difficult as I had expected. It was easier in people with genuine psychic ability, more so when used by someone the person or Pokémon being hypnotized trusts. It wouldn't take more than three sessions, and Melody would be stutter free, though it was possible to temporarily relapse if she was nervous enough.

"It's been too long." Liz said quietly. "I'm sorry we didn't call. We just, we were so busy with training and, and other things, we hardly had time for much else."

"Oh, don't worry about it." Gardenia said. "I knew you had a good reason. I'm just glad to know you two made it back okay." She sighed. "A mansion in the middle of a forest must be amazing."

"It is." I said, looking up. "Waking up to the sun coming in gently through the windows, the sounds of the birds chirping, and all the sights that go with a forest that big are fantastic all year." She laughed as I closed the book.

"Wait, you're done with that book already?" She asked. I nodded. "No way."

"I've always been an avid reader." I said with a shrug. "I did so much research as a kid I just, kind of turned into a real book-Caterpie." She laughed quietly as I put the book in my pack.

"You know, you really surprised me when you showed up like that." She said. "I'd heard you landed, but I never thought you'd be by so fast."

"Who caught sight of us?" I asked. "I don't remember anyone interviewing us, unless they've been following me again."

"Well, a friend of a friend said she saw you." She said. "She came by the other day. You might have missed her, but she saw Liz challenge that, strange Gallade." I laughed as Liz put her hand to her mouth to cover a giggle.

"Oh, please don't remind me about that." I said quietly. "This girl seems to have it in her mind that I'm going to marry her because of a deal between our parents."

"Between your parents?" She asked.

"Yeah, I guess." I said, gently lifting the teacup. "Her parents met with my parents, and they decided it for the best that I marry their daughter when we were old enough. My parents were on the way back, and they hit a Tauros." She lowered her head. "Oh, don't worry. I know they're more proud that I've made my own way through life, and that I inherited my dad's, good looks." She laughed and I smirked as the mask moved up to hide my face again. "Well, it was good to see you, but we must prepare for the battle later. We're helping a new member of the group. But before we go back to the hotel to change back, how many will we go with?"

"Oh, I think three on three would be for the best." She said. "I know Tangela will feel great to see you again, and the others, well, you'll see." She giggled as she stood up. But as I stood up I heard a gasp.

"Oh cool!" A familiar voice said. "Ninjas!" I smiled and turned quickly. There was a young girl wearing a blue tee shirt and a pair of blue jean shorts. She had blue fingerless gloves, a pair of blue running shoes, and a pair of light blue sunglasses. She walked over as a Gallade stepped into the room behind her. His green was much darker than usual, and his gem was a slightly deeper shade of red, as were his eyes. She walked up to me and I hugged her. "Zero."

"Angel." I said fondly. "Ah, I wondered where you were."

"We were at the hotel." She said. "We had to take the penthouse. It was the only room available." I moved back and laughed. "Hope you don't mind."

"We'll be in the hotel across from you." I said. I turned and moved an arm around her shoulder. "Angel, this is Gardenia. Gardenia, this is Angel." Gardenia stood up and held out her hand, which Angel took.

"Nice to meet you Miss Gardenia." Angel said.

"Likewise." Gardenia said cheerily. She let go of Angel's hand as Gavin walked over.

"This is Gavin, my friend and starter." She said. Gardenia took Gavin's offered hand with a smile.

"Hello." She said happily. He just nodded. He seemed like he was just quiet, but in reality he was somewhat shy. "You don't say much, I take it."

"He's just shy." Liz said as she stood up, picking up the egg.

"So, I guess you're challenging Gardenia today." Angel said, looking up at me. I simply nodded.

"I just need to change back into my normal outfit." I said.

"You know, you're the only person I know who can go from ninja to cowboy." She said. I put my hand on her shoulder and laughed.

"Okay, I get it, I dress oddly." I said. "Let's drop this already." She giggled as Gardenia laughed.

"Oh, Gene, look!" Liz said quickly. We all looked as the egg started glowing and cracking.

"It's hatching already?" Gavin asked quietly. I walked over and lowered the mask as Liz's eyes almost literally sparkled. It cracked a little more before splintering and revealing a small blue Pokémon with black ears and small gray bumps on its hands. "It's…"

"A Riolu." Everyone else said together. He looked around before standing shakily, and he looked over at me for a second.

"Hello." I said. Without warning he jumped forward and began hitting my chest with his little fists. "What? What did I say?" He growled and hit me repeatedly before Liz scooped him up.

"Calm down Max, please." She said quickly. He growled again and tried to hit me before he looked at her. He seemed to calm down as I scratched my head.

"Well, it's clear he's happy with you." I said quietly. I felt a bit of anger from him, along with something odd, like anger, but much worse. It was, like hatred. He, hated me, but he seemed to react better with Liz.

"That's it, just stay calm." She said quietly. "He's not mean or bad. He's your friend." I set a Luxury ball on the table and she picked it up. "Here, this will let you stay with us." He moved up to her shoulder and she carefully grabbed him. "No, wait, stay still…" She held him out and he jumped onto my shoulder and started hitting me again.

"Hey, come on, leave…" I started. He tried to hit my face and I backed my head away. "Now calm down…" I grabbed him and held him at arm's length, and he bit my right forearm. "Hey, ow, let go. Max, let, ow, let go already, ow."

"Whoa, he's, angry." Gardenia said. I used my psychic powers and made him let go, and he hovered in front of me as I rubbed my arm. "Why?"

"I don't know." I said. "But this is something that needs to be nipped here and now." Max growled and I pointed at him. "I don't know why you're mad at me, but you'll get used to me."

"Jerk." He said.

"His first word." Angel said. "And, he called you a jerk."

"He's a good judge of character." Gardenia joked.

"Hey." I said as I looked at her. "Uncalled for. So I sneak up on you early in the morning. It makes me a friend playing a joke, at the least." She laughed as I looked at Max. "But you, you're going to calm down, or we're not going to get along that well."

"Jerk." He repeated.

"Okay, no progress." I said wearily.  
…

I stretched as Angel spoke with Liz. Gavin walked over and sat down on the chair near me while I lowered my arms.

"So, that went well." He said.

"More or less." I said. "But we're back together at least. Liz was so nervous about Angel walking around, and that's _with_ the jacket we bought her."

"She's wearing bandages under her shirt." He said. I looked at him and he held his hands up. "Don't get the wrong idea. She told me." I sat down on the bed as he lowered his hands. "But seriously, she said she's got blue bandages just a half-shade darker than her shirt to cover her gems."

"Try to get her to wear the jacket though." I said. I looked to the door and then leaned toward him, lowering my voice. "Trust me, it'll get Liz off of both of our backs, and that'll be for the best." He nodded with a smirk as I sat up. "But, if she won't wear that, at least try to get her to wear a vest or something, or Liz and I will be worried. We can't ask her to do it because, she'll probably just ignore us, or do it to appease us and just take it off when we're not around." He leaned back a bit as I looked at Liz and Angel. They looked like they were having fun, and I could sense a lot of joy from them. As I looked back I saw Gavin looking at his arm. "Something wrong?"

"It's kind of, tough to get used to my blades." He said as he looked at me. I held up my own arm and flexed my blade a little. "It must have been more difficult for you."

"I don't think so." I said. "It's probably about the same for both of us. I went from a human to one eighth Gallade, but you had it easy. It was natural for you."

"Gene?" Liz asked. We looked over as she walked in. "Angel wants to take on Gardenia tomorrow, so, I'm thinking of teleporting her to Oreburgh to go after Roarke."

"But I want to watch you two first." Angel added quickly. "It'd be pretty cool to see you two, inspiring."

"Is it, cool in the Gym?" Gavin asked slowly. We looked at him. "Well, you know, the weather here is a little cooler than in Hoenn, but everyone here seems to keep the air conditioners on much of the time as well." He gestured to Angel. "We brought that jacket, so, why not wear it?" Angel stared before shrugging.

"Sounds like a good idea." She said. "It is a little cold, and, some of the boys here are, well, perverts. They keep staring at me." I put my hand to my head. "Dad, chill, they're smart enough not to try anything. Not when Gavin's nearby. One look and, they just seem to let go of that idea in a big hurry." She giggled. "After all, who'd mess with a Gallade, especially one with such a dark shade of green?" I felt a bit of pride from Gavin and I laughed.

"True." I said. "Gavin, keep her safe from other boys." I turned to him as he nodded, a small smile just visible. "Well, we'll get settled in. Gardenia will have us face her in the afternoon. Why don't you two check out the surrounding area, look for a few friends."

"But, we don't have any Pokéballs." Angel said. I shrugged.

"I've got some Luxury Balls for you to use." I said. I teleported a small box over and she looked at it. "Consider this your kit. Professor Oak also sent me over a new model of Pokédex." She took it slowly and opened it with her psychic power, and she gasped. The Pokédex was a little thinner than the usual model, but it was more advanced. It was mostly pink with a little strip of purple going diagonally across a reversed pink and purple Pokéball shape.

"Oh, wow." She whispered. "It's, beautiful." I smiled as she looked at me. She set the box down and hugged me tightly. "Thank you daddy!" I smiled and returned her hug.

"Anything for my Angel." I said quietly. She let go of me and opened the Pokédex. "Just put in the information it asks for and you're set. Do you remember your alias?" She nodded as she started putting in the data.

"Angel Aranis." She said. "Age sixteen." I smiled as Liz walked over. "And…" She pressed a few buttons and turned it with a smile, and it took her picture. She looked at it and smiled wider. "Save picture, and, done." I smiled as she held it out to me. I took the Dex and looked at the information.

"Trainer number, check." I said quietly. "Acceptable picture." She laughed as I fought a smile. "Great job." I handed it to her and her eyes lit up.

"Really?" She asked.

"Really." I said. "Of course, you learned from a couple of seasoned pros." She laughed as Liz put her hand on my shoulder. "So, we'll be in the Gym sometime this afternoon. We'll see you then." They nodded and Gavin walked over to Angel, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"See you later dad." She said.

"See you in a while honey." I said. They teleported to their hotel room and I looked at Liz. "So, we've got time to kill." She nodded and smiled. "What do you feel like doing?"

"Well, I was thinking we could check on the others first." She said. "And then, we'll come back here and, do some thinking."

"Sounds good." I said.

"Maybe a shower first though." She said. "A couple of days walking, we haven't had much chance to, clean up." I nodded as she started leading me to the shower. "And, we can, save a little time." I smirked as I walked with her to the bathroom, but she let go and walked in as I tossed my hat over to the chair. She was already in the shower cabin when I walked into the bathroom, so I teleported my outfit onto the peg beside hers and she opened the door a little. I slipped in and she closed it as the water started. She sighed happily as the water went down her hair and shoulders, and I grabbed the soap and lathered my hands in what water passed by her. "It feels like it's been far too long since Oreburgh." I started rubbing her shoulders and she moved back a little before she grabbed the soap. "I feel like I've got a week's worth of dirt on me." I slowly massaged her shoulders before moving down slowly, being careful of the gem.

"And yet, I'm the one that had the harder battle." I said. She laughed and looked back at me. "What? I fought a Ponyta, using mostly melee attacks. To top it off, you made me fall into a lake yesterday. I got drenched in lake water." She looked ahead as she slowly washed her chest, and I moved my hands down to her lower back.

"Well, for your first battle with a wild Pokémon, you did a great job." She said. "For a few moments, I thought I saw a blue haired Gallade with one green arm." I smirked and moved closer to her. "You looked so powerful." She looked back. "I'm proud of you."

"Thank you." I said. "I'm just glad I didn't get hurt." She moved one hand back to mine and she looked back at me. "Yes, my dear?" She moved back against me and I smirked. "Come on, I'm dirty here."

"I know." She said quietly. "But, thinking about how you fought yesterday, I'm feeling a little, frisky." She rubbed my hands and pulled them around to her stomach. "Please?"


	8. The Forest Badge

**I'm sorry for the delay between chapters, but due to several things I was unable to either work on or remain focused on this chapter. But I managed to get it done, and am happy to present this chapter. Doubt many people are reading this, but hey, it's here for a reason.**

**One of those reasons is because I'd like to ask that you read TomA62975's story, 'Always Coming in Silver'. He's thinking of changing it, but you'll probably know when it changes if you like it and keep reading it. It's a good story, and I hope everyone that does read it likes it.**

**Thanks go to my partners, Mariokutai-Reincarnated and Chaotyx, for checking the chapter and making sure everything is clear for reading. Then of course, you, the reader, deserve thanks for reading this, because without all of you, I wouldn't be posting as often, if at all. Thank you, all of you.**

**I'll also say that I might be a little slow between chapters for a while. I'm going to keep a leisurely pace for a while so I can try to spot more errors to reduce the workload that Mariokutai and Chaotyx have to deal with.**

**And with that, I think you should all be aware that this chapter is not shown through Gene's mismatched eyes, and not Liz's eyes either. This time, you see things through the eyes of their daughter, Angel Alastor.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, and my betas Mariokutai Reincarnated and Chaotyx, do not own the rights to Pokémon. Thank you.  
…**

I stretched with a quiet yawn as I got out of the bed. My nap went quickly, more than I hoped, but then, that was the story of my life. Everything went by faster than it should have. Well, almost everything. Some moments seemed to last just long enough for me to enjoy them, and I was being taken care of all the time. Those times dragged on, but for differing reasons.

"Angel?" Gavin asked sleepily. "Is it time to go?" I smiled and turned to him as he sat up, yawning quietly.

"It is." I said quietly. Thanks to him, time seemed to give me just a little longer at times when I needed it. He was the best friend I've ever had, and it didn't take long at all for him to trust me completely. I was grateful for him. We shared a bed, but it was platonic, not at all like my parents. When they shared a bed, I knew sometimes they weren't really sleeping. Gavin and me, we were living the truth of their lie. "How'd you sleep?"

"Like a Ralts." He said with a small smile. "Thank you for trusting me to share the bed." I giggled into my hand.

"You're my best friend." I said. "Why wouldn't I trust you?" He laughed as he got out of the bed and stretched, his blades unsheathing reflexively. "So, we'll be fighting the Gym Leader my dad beat just a few days ago. Do you think we'll be able to win that easily?"

"We will." He said. "We'll get to the League with your parents, and we'll see how we stack up." I smiled as he turned his upper body slowly from one side to the other. "I just hope your mother will take it at least a little easy on me." I smiled and walked over to my pack and picked it up. "Are you ready to see if they're prepared to challenge Gardenia?" I nodded and walked over to him, and I could feel his excitement. He'd watched my dad training, and he wanted to be at least half as good. I knew how he felt, because when I saw my dad training, he seemed, different, focused, but I could feel that he was just having fun. "This should be interesting. Gardenia is supposed to be a real challenge. I wonder what Pokémon she will use." I smiled as he put his arm around me in a small hug. He was always doing stuff like that, usually right before teleporting us.

"Gavin, before you try anything, think about this, my parents should be getting up around now." I said. He nodded. "You know how they are." He looked at me. "I don't want to 'port in on my parents, you know, doing it." He laughed and patted my shoulder. "Let's just go get some dinner and we'll meet them at the Gym. I'll text my dad later." He nodded and teleported us downstairs, and I smiled as the concierge jumped back a bit. "Sorry. We just couldn't wait for the dinner buffet."

"It's quite alright." He said. "You're not the first to teleport in for dinner." I blinked. "A man in a long black coat teleported in with a blue Gardevoir." He gestured and I looked over, smirking.

"Gene." I said quietly. "He always does manage to surprise me." The concierge laughed as we walked over. "Thank you."

"Have a pleasant afternoon." He said. We walked over and dad was sitting next to mom, eating a large steak. Mom had a small salad and her usual formulated food with it. We walked over and dad looked up.

"Yo." He said.

"Hey." I repeated. Gavin pulled out a seat and I sat down and looked back at him. "Thanks." He smiled and sat down, but before we could speak a set of plates were placed in front of us, surprising me. "Uh, th-thanks." I looked to see no one and then I looked at mom as she smiled, eating a few of the small blue and pink snacks.

"No problem." Dad said. I looked at him as he winked. Though he had his sunglasses on, I knew he was winking by how his cheek moved a little. "So, how was the bed?"

"Comfy." I said, picking up a fork. He had put a plate of mashed potatoes and in front of me, and it was covered in moderately thin but delicious smelling brown gravy. He had put a few small steaks in front of Gavin. He knew Gavin didn't like to eat that much, so that meant he expected Gavin to share with me. I felt too many people around us to chance calling him dad, so I gave him a look, to which he smirked. "Gene, come on, you know us better than that."

"What can I say?" He asked kindly. "I'm a good friend." Gavin began laughing quietly while we ate. We were quiet for a few minutes before I decided to strike up a conversation.

"So, have you ever seen Gardenia fight?" I asked. He looked up and nodded.

"I have." He said. "She has a rather powerful Tangela. But I don't know which one we'll be watching out for. So far the plan is for Melody, Julie, and Liz to be the primaries this time. Fire, Ice, and Psychic attacks should be able to give us the advantage."

"Lucky for you not many people are copying your special fighting style." I said.

"Aside from you." He replied calmly. I laughed as he ate his steak. "You know, you'll have to catch a few more Pokémon for your team. Otherwise it'll be a one on one with Roarke and Gardenia. As strong as Gavin is, I'm sure you'll need help down the road sooner or later." He raised the fork and pointed a piece of steak at me. "Don't think that having one strong friend means you automatically win. Gavin's tough, but he's not unstoppable." I laughed quietly as he ate the piece.

"Don't worry, we'll look for some new friends." I said. "So, where are the others?"

"Melody and Julie are at the Center resting, chatting." Mom said. "And Max is asleep in Gene's backpack." Dad suddenly winced and moved back, looking under the table. "Or, he's attacking Gene's leg again." She reached down and pulled the little Riolu out from under the table as dad raised his leg and rubbed the spot where he had a few small teeth marks. "Max, stop biting him." Max growled at him as mom held him carefully.

"He's a little ball of energy and anger." Gavin said. I sighed as Max looked over. "You're not exactly making a good case. Growling, biting, and bothering Gene however you can." Max moved up my mother's shoulder and hid his face.

"And yet he has taken to Liz." Dad said tiredly. "Well, let's finish dinner, and then we'll head over to the Gym and earn our badge." I smiled as I ate my potatoes, and Gavin put one of the steaks on another plate and moved it next to mine. "And, you were saying a minute ago, Angel?" I laughed.

"Come on, you give him more than he can eat, and then get on him for this?" I asked. "He knows what he can handle, especially because he still has his formula to go with it."  
…

I walked in behind my parents, and the air around them changed only a little. They were still calm, like always, but there was something else there. A little excitement, and something hard to place, but I knew it to be confidence. They both had that air whenever they were training, dad especially. But this, this was just a little different.

"Hey guys." Gardenia called. We looked over at a tree and she jumped down. "I was wondering when you'd be by." She laughed quietly.

"I hope we didn't keep you waiting for too long." Dad said.

"It's fine." She said. "I needed some time to choose my team. From what I've seen, you've got a good advantage." She laughed. "I honestly don't know if I could win if Liz joins in." Mom giggled as Max struggled. "Watch carefully Max, and you'll learn to trust Gene. He's a great trainer, and a really nice guy." Dad laughed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Great trainer?" He asked modestly. "I'm alright, but great might be a bit much." We all laughed. It was amazing how calm he was, but I could sense his confidence, his focus, and even without my ability to sense emotions, I knew he was happy to see a friend. "So, who's up first?" He lowered his hand and Gardenia held up her first Pokéball and opened it. The white light revealed a Roserade, male by the way he carried himself. Dad knew Gardevoir better than almost anyone in the world, knowing from even a picture of the face of any random Gardevoir whether it was male or female, how well it was trained or if it was wild, and, if trained, how much the trainer took care of it. "Roserade, good choice to start." Dad grabbed his Luxury Ball and opened them all. I watched with a smile as his friends appeared. They looked out at the field as Max stared, for once calm instead of angry.

"Wow, what a cute little Treeko." Gardenia said excitedly. Drake put a piece of wheat straw in his mouth and I looked to see Gardenia smiling widely. "He looks strong."

"I'll wait for my turn." He said. "But thank you."

"Melody, do you want to take the lead on this one?" Dad asked. Melody nodded and hopped onto the field and giggled.

"Good luck little Buneary." Roserade said suavely. "I will not go easy on you just because you are a young girl." Melody giggled again.

"S-s-stop, you're embarrassing m-me." She said. Dad told me about his plan to use hypnotherapy to help her with her stutter, but I thought she sounded cuter with it. I shrugged and walked over to the side of the field when no referee came over. It seemed either she wanted me or Liz to be the referee, or the sanctioned one was out. A thought hit me though. She knew about dad's arm and eye, so maybe she wanted him to feel comfortable enough to remove his duster and shades. But then, Max was so difficult to deal with, he probably wouldn't keep the secret for a long time. "I'm r-ready."

"As am I." Roserade said calmly. He just exuded an air of suaveness, and radiated calm. Melody was calm too, just not as calm as he was. I held up my arm and looked between my dad and Gardenia, and they both nodded.

"Begin." I called, dropping my arm quickly.

"Roserade, use Weather Ball!" Gardenia called quickly.

"A, QH into DH." Dad said calmly. I barely kept my eyes on Melody as she nearly vanished and appeared in front of Roserade, who had been holding a ball of flame above him, and his calm was replaced with concern for a moment. He was hit once with her left ear, pushing him and the ball back, and as it started to fall she hit him with an uppercut with her right ear. The effect of the combination pushed him into the ball as she jumped back. The ball exploded and sent him back a little, and Gardenia knelt by him. "DC, and A."

'Wow.' I thought. 'Agility, a Quick Attack with a Double Hit, and now he's having her use Defense Curl and Agility again. If Roserade goes on the physical offensive, there's not much he can do.'

"Okay, let's try Weather Ball again." Gardenia said. "Dodge if you need to." Roserade formed the ball quickly and I saw that it would be difficult for Melody to get close enough to hit him again.

"IB." Dad said calmly. I looked at Melody as she opened her mouth and a thin blue beam shot forward, but as I tracked it, it hit the Weather Ball as Roserade lowered it in front of him. When the beam hit it, it blew through the ball instantly and hit Roserade as it exploded.

"Roserade!" Gardenia called. I felt, strange. My dad was serious, and it made me, proud, and excited, but a little scared. His expression was, confident, but at the same time happy. He was smiling a little, just above a smirk. I looked to see the smoke clearing and Roserade was kneeling, but standing. "Okay, time to get serious." I heard dad speaking quietly, and he was full of confidence. He had a plan forming, or already being set up to be used. "Synthesis, and use Magic Leaf." I heard dad speaking again. I looked and saw him speaking calmly, but under his breath.

'Looks like, Agility again, and then, Bounce…' I thought slowly. A thought hit me. 'Jump high, avoid the leaves, land and have them come back! And then Ice Beam again? Whoa.' A new level of surprise caught me when I saw his lips curl into a smirk. Melody suddenly jumped up and the rainbow leaves followed her as she somersaulted forward. The leaves were just behind her as she landed and suddenly rolled, and the leaves hit the ground where Roserade had just been. Gardenia called for Roserade to use Magical Leaf again, but the Ice Beam struck him dead on, and the freezing effect hit him hard, freezing much of his body and finally his head. 'G-go dad. Wow. That's, brutal.' I waited for a moment before lifting my left hand. "Gene, and Melody are the winners of this match." Melody giggled and I looked to see dad picking her up in a little hug.

"Great job Melody." He said. "A perfect win. I knew you could do it." Gardenia laughed quietly and I turned my head as she sprayed an Ice Heal on Roserade, and the ice rapidly melted away. When it finished he shook his head and sighed.

"Good work little Buneary." The Roserade said. "I should have made the leaves move a little better to avoid that. I commend you." Melody giggled and dad set her down. "I know that you will go far with your friends." He stepped back and Gardenia opened her second ball, summoning the expected Tangela.

"Alright, round two." She said. "Who's on this one?"

"Julie, I believe it is your turn." Dad said. I watched Julie walk onto the field, her mane burning beautifully. I had only seen her once, but I loved Ponyta. They were incredible Pokémon, and once they evolved they could be incredibly fast and powerful with their fire attacks. "We'll have to go easy on the fire, but I know you can do it." Tangela jumped happily and I couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm ready, I'm ready!" The energetic grass type said quickly. "I'm ready to go!"

"I think he's ready." Gardenia said with a giggle.

"I am ready as well." Julie said.

"Begin." I called.

"A, QA into S, and B." Dad called.

"Use Vine Whip to keep her still, and then Slam her!" Gardenia said quickly. Julie took off quickly, but as she approached Tangela a vine shot out and caught one of her legs, and she was quickly grabbed around the midsection and raised rapidly into the air.

"E." Dad said quickly, but calmly. Julie opened her mouth and let out a few flames that caught the vines, and Tangela quickly let go. Julie landed and quickly got her balance back. "FW." She shook her head and as Tangela got his vines out she opened her mouth.

'Come on Julie, come on.' I thought. 'Get him good.'

"Use Stun Spore!" Gardenia said. "Jump over the fire!" Julie let out a flame that formed a rolling wheel, but Tangela jumped over it while shaking, and he jumped toward her. Julie moved quickly to avoid it, but despite her speed, mobility was a slight issue going side to side or even backward. Dad seemed concerned, and I saw that he was thinking.

'Is there a way out of this?' I thought. 'Can they win?'

"Julie, FC." Dad called. Julie visibly tensed before she suddenly burst into flame and shot forward, and Tangela cried out as the attack, missed. But the spores didn't. The flames went out at the last second, just as she skidded through a small cloud of the spores. Dad groaned as vines shot out at Julie.

"Sorry Julie." Gardenia said. Julie knelt to try to avoid the vines, but they wrapped around her as dad held up his hat. I sighed.

"Julie is unable to battle." I said. "Tangela and Gardenia win this match."

"I'm sorry Julie." Dad said. Tangela set Julie down by him and he calmly sprayed a Paralyze Heal on her. It loosened her muscles and removed the spores. "You did your best."

"Good work Tangela." Gardenia said. "You're even faster than before." I looked to see her rubbing his vines where his head would normally be. "Let me just switch out so we can see what Liz…"

"Max, no." Liz said. We all looked to see Max jumping onto the field, shakily, but he was standing there, growling quietly. He floated up but as soon as Mom held him he jumped out of her grip. "Max! Stop it!"

"I think he really wants to fight." Gardenia said. "Max, you're too young."

"No." He said defiantly. "Fight."

"Max." I said. "You'll get flattened."

"Fight!" He growled. "I fight!" Dad stood up and put his hand on his head.

"Your call Gardenia." He said tiredly. "He's young, but he won't get off of the field. I'm fairly certain he's just not going to give up on this."

"If he wants to fight, I guess, if you know what moves he can use." She said. She pulled out a ball and opened it, revealing a Turtwig. "Turtwig is a little young, but he really wants to fight."

"Yes." He said happily. "I can do it!" I smiled at how happy he was, but Max, was just angry. Without warning he shot forward using, Quick Attack.

"Max!" Dad called. Turtwig jumped back and avoided rapid punches thrown by Max, and the little Riolu was just going into it, growling and snapping at the little Turtwig. But for a little land turtle, he was fast.

"Turtwig, use Leech Seed to anchor him down." Gardenia said. "Don't hurt him too much. He's practically a baby." Turtwig fired the little seed, and Max just caught it and threw it before it attached to him. It landed right back on Turtwig, and I felt surprise from all directions except for behind me. The seed attached and Turtwig shook to try to get it off, only to be on the immediate receiving end of a series of Scratch and Bite attacks before finally falling down. "Wow."

"I, I really don't know how to call this one." I said. "I didn't say that the match had started."

"Well, Max beat Turtwig anyway." Gardenia said. "I, say that he wins." Max moved to the starting position as I rubbed my head. But before anything could be done my dad knelt by him and put his hand around his little shoulders. Max struggled as my dad adopted a stern expression.

"Max, in a battle, you have to listen to me." He said calmly. I felt a little scared. I remembered how many times he had done something like that to me. He would sometimes have to sit me down and explain things to me, like how I shouldn't have gone outside when there was a chance someone would see me. It was before he told me that technically my very existence was illegal because I was the daughter of a Gardevoir, and he was my father. His calm but stern voice made me calm down considerably, and Max seemed to listen. "You can't just run in and start fighting like that, because you could get hurt. The only reason you won is because she took it easy on you. You're still young, and I don't want you fighting until we know what you can do, how strong you are." It was there, buried under the calm, but I knew it. That fatherly tone, one that I was intimately familiar with. He was going to lay down the law, and if Max didn't listen, then there was nothing that would calm him down that I could think of. "Either you calm down, or your next match, I'm going to have Liz pull you back here, and hold you up so Melody can give it a shot. Do you understand?" Max stood there before nodding slowly. "We're clear?" He nodded again and dad let go of him. "Remember that. You were born just earlier today, and so far you've been nothing but a little ball of anger with me. So be calm, listen to me, and maybe I can help you win. This time, it won't be easy." Dad stood up as Tangela walked up to the field.

"Okay then." I said after a few seconds. "If everyone is ready." Dad and Max nodded alternately, as did Gardenia. I had a feeling she'd take it easy on Max, maybe Vine Whip to hold him up and follow with Stun Spore. She wouldn't hurt him. "Begin." Max didn't move, but I could tell he was still angry, and ready to attack.

"Quick Attack and Bite." Dad said. "Dodge the vines…" Max rushed forward, but not as fast as Quick Attack. "Max, Quick… Max." Max growled quickly.

"Use Vine Whip to restrain him." Gardenia said. "Then Sleep Powder." Tangela sent out a few vines, but Max surprised me by actually grabbing one and biting it.

"Well, half of what I said got through." Dad said tiredly. "Max, watch… Oh for goodness sake." Max kept biting the vines that lifted him, and Tangela winced a few times before covering Max in the blue spores. After a few seconds of biting, he gave up, but when Tangela slowly lowered him, Max was hanging onto the vine. Dad and Gardenia laughed quietly.

"Max, is unable to battle, I think." I said quietly. Tangela walked forward a little and dad pulled out a small blanket and wrapped Max in it before carefully opening his mouth to pick him up.

"Even so far." Dad said quietly. "I'm not sure what to say." Melody walked forward and Gardenia shook her head.

"No, I think I want to concede this one." She said. "Tangela is strong, but I know Melody is still fresh. Ice Beam, Bounce, I'm sure she's too fast for Tangela with Agility too." Tangela nodded and Melody was surprised as Gardenia rubbed her head. "Let's just call it here, you win." She laughed quietly. "You certainly know what you're doing, and had Liz stepped in, well, we didn't have much chance." Dad sighed quietly and looked at Max. He was finally calm.

"Maybe we can have a rematch one day." Dad said quietly. "I know you wanted to see Liz dance." I smiled as Gardenia walked over with the badge and handed it to him. "Thanks. We'll send Angel to go up against Roarke. I'm sure it'll be a good match. I just wish she could have another friend for it." Gardenia looked at me as I walked over, and she seemed thoughtful.

"Angel, do you like Grass type Pokémon?" She asked. I was surprised.

"Yes." I said slowly. "I've never met any apart from Drake and your friends, personally at least." She nodded but pulled out another Pokéball.

"I want you to take care of this Pokémon." She said. "This is my Turtwig's sister." She held the ball out to me. "I know you're a good person. You, remind me of Gene, a little. I know I can trust you with her." I slowly took the ball and looked at it. "She'll be a great help against Roarke. Oh, and tell him I said hi."

"Th-thank you, Miss Gardenia." I said. "I, I'll tell him."


	9. A quick rematch

**This chapter came to me a lot faster than I hoped for, and I wrote like the Demon I am. That said, I remained skeptical because when I'm at my fastest, I make a few more errors than I normally would.**

**Thanks to Chaotyx and Mariokutai-Reincarnated for checking for errors and offering their advice. I'm grateful, and with your aid I caught a few other things we all missed originally.**

**Once more I want to direct readers to TomA62975's story Always Coming in Silver. It's a good story, so please, read it and review.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do not own the rights to Pokémon. Thank you, have a nice read.  
…**

I shook Gardenia's hand as we walked out of the Gym. Angel had opened the Pokéball and was holding her new Turtwig in her arms with a smile. She named her new friend Penny, and they had already bonded a little.

"Thanks Gardenia." I said. "This is the calmest Max has been all day." She giggled as I let go of her hand and looked at Max. I knew Liz was probably going to baby him for a while, and the moment he woke up he'd start trying to bite me again. But for the time being, he was just a sleeping Riolu, and I could feel how calm he was.

"He's cute." Angel said. I nodded as Gardenia sighed.

"I'll go over to the Pokémon Center for now." She said. "I'll be ready for our match later, Angel." They both laughed as Liz walked up to her and Johnny.

"Are you both ready?" She asked. They nodded, even Penny, and Liz held up her hand. "We'll see you in a while. If the match gets difficult, let us know." They nodded again.

"See you later Liz, Gene." Angel said. "Miss Gardenia." Gardenia laughed quietly as Liz teleported them and lowered her arm and held Melody calmly. Gardenia however had Drake on her shoulder, grinning widely from the moment she convinced him to do so.

"So, what will you two be doing until she comes back?" She asked suddenly. I shrugged carefully so Max wouldn't shift position.

"Well, first we'll head to the hotel and set Max down for his nap." I said. "Then I want to start on Melody's first hypnotherapy session. It shouldn't take much longer than half an hour."

"I can take Julie in if you want." She said. "I'll let Nurse Joy know." I carefully reached down to the ball and held it out to her.

"Thanks." I said. She smiled as she took it.

"No problem." She said quietly. "That's what are friends for." Drake moved up a bit and she moved to have her shoulder close to mine. He quickly moved onto me and I smirked.

"All aboard." I said. He tapped my arm and I nodded as Gardenia moved back. "Angel should be quick, if no one else is there. I'll let you know what happens." She nodded before stepping forward a little.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait." She said.

"I'm not here for a badge." A familiar voice said. A shiver ran up my spine as I looked over. It was Marie. "I'm here for my fiancé."

"Here we go." I groaned quietly.

"Hello Marie." Liz said. I looked up and sighed. "Oh, still no translators."

"Liz says hello." Gardenia said, extending her hand. "I had no idea Gene was going to get married."

"I'm not." I said tiredly. "It's difficult, but apparently my parents met with hers, arranged for us to be married when we were older, and, my parents were in the car crash that very night. Miss Aleria told me just a few days ago about the arranged marriage…"

"And he's trying to get out of it because he's nervous." Marie said.

"He wants to finish his journey." Liz said. "She just, seems to want to marry him whether or not he wants to."

"Miss Gardenia, could I trouble you to use your Gym for a moment?" Marie asked. "I've trained for the past few days to defeat him, so that he'll finally overcome his nerves." Gardenia nodded slowly.

"I suppose." She said. "I'll be back in a few minutes so I can referee." Marie smiled and nodded as Gardenia looked at me.

"I'm honor bound to accept her challenge." I said. "If not, she'll start planning for a wedding where I won't show up." Marie walked in quickly and I sighed.

"About face." Drake said wearily. I turned and walked in after her, and I started hoping we could win quickly.

"Marie, before we have our battle." I said calmly. She looked back. "We're trying to get Max, this little Riolu, to sleep. So let's stay calm and quiet, so that he won't wake up." She nodded and walked to her spot when Max started stirring. I looked at him and he started moving more and I carefully moved him. My eyes widened as I slowly started moving my arms. "No, no, no please, no, stay asleep, shh no…" He made a sound and opened his eyes. "Oh boy." I held him carefully and he squirmed.

"What's wrong?" Marie asked. "Oh, he's awake?"

"Max, stay calm…" I started. He moved and I moved my arms quickly. "No, hold st-, no…" He moved out of the blanket and Liz gasped as I held him in my hands, dropping the blanket but catching it on my foot, and Marie started laughing. "Max, calm down. Agh, for goodness sake." I groaned quietly and held him around his midsection. "Calm down or I might drop you." I gently gripped him and he looked at me. "Liz is going to battle, so watch her, and learn something."

"Tangela." He said. "Where?"

"You were knocked out by Sleep Powder." I said. "You lost." He growled and suddenly bit me, and I barely held him. "Hey, cut it out." Marie giggled and I laughed. "Great, and we had made so much progress lately."

"Where did you get that little cutie?" Marie asked. "Did your Gardevoir meet a Lucario?"

"No, we found his egg." I said. "He hatched a little over eight hours ago, and ever since he's been biting me and calling me a jerk." He let go of me. "Calm…"

"Jerk." He said. I raised my head with an exasperated groan.

"Why did I remind him of that word?" I asked the ceiling. Liz laughed with Melody and Drake.

"He called you a jerk again?" Marie asked. "Maybe, he could use a woman's influence. I'm sure I could calm him down."

"He has a mother." Liz said quietly. I looked at Max and into his eyes before turning to Liz. She set Melody down and took him and instantly the little Riolu calmed down. "Come here Max, you're alright now." I looked at my arm and rubbed it.

"He looks at Liz like a mother." I said, looking over at Marie. "You'd think he'd be a little nicer." She summoned Lancelot and I heard Gardenia coming in. I studied Lancelot for a moment. "You have trained a little, but I'm not sure this much work would…" My cell phone rang and I held up my head. "Veuillez m'excuser pour une seconde." I reached into my pocket and took out the phone and looked at it. "C'est un de mes ami." Everyone but Liz was surprised that I knew how to speak a little French, but I often helped Silph Co. with some of their contract negotiations, and I had to learn a little. So far it served me well. I opened the phone and put it up to my ear. "Bounjour, vous avez attaint Gene Alastor."

"Venez le Gene, Français?" Angel asked quickly. "J'ai prêté attention á la leçon, et vous le savez." I laughed quietly at her accent. She had done a lot better than I had. The translators didn't work for foreign languages very well. For that, you either translated it yourself, knew how to speak it, or you had to give up and move on.

"Sorry." I said. "I met someone and have to go back to the Gym. I'll tell you later. But, have you already beaten Roarke?"

"No, I haven't even gotten a chance yet." She said. "Someone already challenged him and left earlier, so I have to wait for his Pokémon to get back from the Center. He said it'll be another hour or so. But since Gardenia has to have her Pokémon rest, I'm planning on coming back after I look for some fire types." She sighed. "If I would have known there was a wait, I would have stayed back. I don't want to leave right now though, because I found this museum with a lot of fossils I want to take a look at." I smiled. "I'll call you again when I'm on my way back."

"Vous voir bientôt puis." I said. She giggled. "Au revoir, miel."

"Au revoir, papa." She said. I hit the end button and closed it.

"You, speak French?" Marie asked.

"Un peu." I said. "On ne sait jamais quand vous aurez besoin de savoir."

"What are you saying?" She asked.

"I said 'a little', and that you never know when you'll need to know." I said.

"And, who was that you were talking to?" She asked.

"A friend." I said. "Her name is Angel. I met her, about four years ago after we took our break. She's a good friend of mine."

"What was that, you called her?" She asked quietly. "I, know that 'au revoir' means 'goodbye', more or less. What does 'miel' mean?"

"Honey." I said. "Funny story, she once accidentally ended up with a good deal of honey on her favorite shoes and ruined them." I laughed. "Good times those."

"You, like her?" She asked quietly. She was hurt.

"She looks up to me." I said. "She acts like I'm her father sometimes. And sometimes I'll act that way." I shrugged. "Just how it works. But, we have a battle, ye-… Oh, Liz." I looked at her. "You'll have to hold Max." Max suddenly started struggling.

"Fight!" He said quickly. I tapped his nose and he looked up at me.

"Max, he's a psychic type, and you're a fighting type." I said. "He'll just pick you up and make you wear yourself out. If she wins, then I'll have to end our journey here, and no more battles for you." He growled quietly. "Now calm down and we'll figure this out." I turned to Gardenia as she held her arms out. Max suddenly floated over to her and I smiled. "Thanks Gardenia. You're a real friend." Liz walked onto the field and Gardenia held Max, and he didn't struggle, so I stopped smiling. "And, he doesn't bite or struggle with you. What did I do to you, Max, that makes you so angry at me?"

"Jerk." He said quietly. I lowered my head, removed my hat, and ran my fingers through my hair as Liz, Gardenia, and Melody laughed.

"Why are you all laughing?" Marie asked.

"Max called him a jerk again." Gardenia said. "But, are you both ready?" I raised my head and put my hat on before I nodded.

"Jerk, ready." Max said. I groaned again.

"Petit douleur dans la nuque." I muttered. Liz giggled as Marie nodded.

"We're ready." She said. Lancelot nodded. I gestured and she held up her arm. "PC, FP, and P!" Lancelot rushed at her with a pink blade, and I felt that it was a little stronger, but Liz just stood there calmly.

"My own technique used against us." I said. Lancelot struck at Liz, but she caught his arm and punched him in the stomach, but it wasn't an attack, just a punch. He stumbled back but quickly recovered as his fist burst into flame, but Liz caught it with a frosty fist of her own. I smirked. "Liz, je crois que suffira à l'onde de choc et psychique s'il se lève." Liz stepped back and focused for a moment and threw a line of lightning that hit him and tossed him back, but he got up.

"Recover." Marie said quickly. "Speaking French, sexy as it makes him, won't save them." Before he could even try, Liz tossed him aside with Psychic, and he hit the ground in front of her. "Lancelot, please, get up. R-Recover?" He didn't move for a second before he slowly tried to get up, but he just fell down again.

"She, she is, too strong." He said quietly. "A powerful, beautiful Gardevoir. I-, I think, I am in love."

"Gene and Liz are the winners." Gardenia said.

"Vous se sont bien battus." Liz said. Lancelot looked up at Liz, and Marie was visibly surprised as I shrugged.

"Strangely enough, she speaks fluent French." I said. "But, she said that you fought well."

"Wow." Gardenia said. She giggled. "I need to learn how to speak French. That is so cool." Liz giggled as she walked over to Gardenia and took Max.

"Merci." Liz said. She walked over to me and giggled. "Je t'aime, mon tuteur." I smiled as she moved next to me.

"Et je vous, mon danseur." I said quietly.

"I really need to learn French." Marie said quietly. "But I won't lose next time." I smirked.

"Perhaps having a larger team would help." I said. "Goodness knows it can't hurt to have more friends." I thought for a moment before shrugging. "And buy some translators. I'm sure it can only help you learn how to work better with Lancelot. He's strong, but if you understand him more, he'll be far stronger. A strong bond requires understanding. I understand Liz, and she understands me." Liz nodded. "That is why she is as strong as she is."  
…

Melody looked at me as she moved her feet back and forth while Liz fed Max his liquid formula. He was finally calm on his own. Drake was resting at the Center while keeping Julie company.

"G-Gene?" She asked.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Why, does L-Liz speak F-French, like a h-h-human?" She asked. "Couldn't she l-learn, how to speak English, like a human, t-t-too?"

"I'm not sure." I said. "I called a tutor so Liz could learn, and I guess she just learned because, that was the only way the he could teach her." I shrugged.

"I suppose, I could learn how to speak English." Liz said. "We did meet that Meowth, remember?" Melody nodded as she looked up at her. "I just, thought French suited me better." She blushed. "It makes me feel, cuter. Sexy." She giggled. Melody nodded slowly and looked at me.

"She does seem sexier when she's speaking French." I said. Melody giggled. "What? Humans can't appreciate beauty?" She giggled louder as I removed my sunglasses. When she stopped I was still smiling. "Ready?" She nodded and I cleared my throat and focused on using Hypnosis. "Now, look deeply into my eyes." She stared at me. "You are beginning to feel relaxed, calm. Let any trace of nervousness go." I didn't blink. "Slowly relax your body, from your ears, to your toes." She visibly calmed down a little more. "You are going to go into a deeply relaxed state, and you will listen to my voice." Her eyes slowly went blank. "Good. You are focused solely on my voice. You will not stutter as much as you normally do. You will speak calmly, and only stutter when you are truly nervous." She nodded slowly, her eyes never breaking contact with mine.

This continued for the better part of an hour, and it consisted of me telling her that her voice was steadier than it has ever been, calmer than it has ever been, and that she would only stutter as she became sufficiently nervous. When I was done, Max had fallen asleep and Liz had put him in a drawer she had removed from the desk by the bed, on a small folded blanket.

"Okay Melody." I said in a steady tone. "I am now going to bring you out of your trance. I am going to slowly count to ten, and you are going to slowly come out of this." Liz walked over to me. "One… Two, you are slowly becoming aware of your thoughts and body… Three… Four… Five, you are becoming aware of the room around you." Liz put her hand on my shoulder. "Six… Seven… Eight, you are nearly awake, and you feel calm and refreshed… Nine… Ten, and you are completely awake." I snapped my fingers and her eyes returned to normal and she looked around slowly.

"Wow." Liz said quietly. "Melody, how do you feel?"

"Calm." She said slowly. "And, I, feel really good." She looked up at me. "Did it w-work?"

"I think so." I said. "I really do think it worked, though we still need to do a few more sessions." She nodded slowly.

"I feel okay." She said. "And, I only stuttered a little. I think it's w-working." She giggled. "It is."

"Good." I said. I softly put my hand on her head and she closed her eyes. "I'm glad."

"Gene, you have a thousand talents." Liz said. I laughed.

"Well, I'm working on it." I said. "We'll do some more tomorrow." Melody nodded and I went to pick her up when my cell phone vibrated. She giggled as I reached over and grabbed it. It was Nurse Joy. I opened it and Melody smiled as Liz picked her up. "Hello Nurse Joy. Is everything alright?"

"It is." She said cheerily. "And I have great news. We had another breakthrough, and we've had great success. I think we'll have a properly synthesized vial ready by Friday." I smiled. "We have you to thank for this. It was your generous contribution that gave us the means to create it. There are no drawbacks to it whatsoever, and if nothing happens by Friday, then this is a true success. I just wanted you to know, and, I want to thank you. Thank you so much for this." She sniffed quietly. "Mr. Alastor, you've given my daughter a chance at a normal life. Thank you."

"You're welcome." I said. "This is the best news I've received today. I'll tell Liz, and Angel will come in later."

"Goodbye." She said. "I'm going, I've got to tell my sisters and send them the data."

"Goodbye Nurse Joy." I said. She hung up and I closed the phone. "Liz, it's ready." I looked at her and her eyes began watering and nearly sparkling.

"That is amazing news." She said quietly. "Truly?" I nodded as I put the phone away.

"Friday is when we'll know if it's really ready." I said with a smile. "Just a few more days." She nodded and Melody touched my arm with her ear.

"What happens Friday?" She asked. "What's ready that's g-g-got you so e-excited?"

"It, is something that I think you're ready to hear." I said. "But let's talk about it in the other room, so we won't wake Max up." I stood up and Liz walked into the main room, and I closed the divider. I turned as Liz set Melody on the table. I sat down and Liz sat next to me. "Melody, you know that Liz and I are very close, and Angel is also close to us." She nodded as she sat down. "But what you don't know, what no one but we and a handful of people in the world know, is that we're far closer than we seem." I put my hand on Liz's, and Melody's eyes went wide. "I am Liz's mate. She is my mate." Liz nodded.

"M-mates?" Melody asked quietly. "You, you mean, you, really, d-do… That?" We nodded together. "With Angel?"

"No." I said. "Angel…"

"Is our daughter." Liz finished quietly. "She was born only a few years ago, but, something happened that just wasn't right. She was born very early, but, she was fully developed. We thought it was normal, but, something about the way she was born, part human, part Pokémon, made her grow too fast."

"What do you mean?" Melody asked. "Wh-what makes her grow, too fast?"

"It's, something in the combination of the two types of DNA." I said. "Something about it gave her a metabolism so high she grows four times as fast as normal. She's four years old, but, she looks a lot older." She looked at Liz and then back at me. "I still don't fully understand it, but what I do know is that there is something that makes it possible for humans and Pokémon to breed. Not just us, but any human with nearly any Pokémon." Liz gripped my hand slightly. "I'm different, but it didn't change anything. Angel is four years old, and is physically sixteen. She's smart, mature, but she didn't have a real childhood. But now, we've got a chance to fix that. We can fix her condition so she'll stop growing so fast." Melody nodded slowly. "This is what I was talking to Nurse Joy about. Her family has found the cure." She nodded again.

"S-so, Angel, isn't human?" She asked.

"Not entirely." Liz said. "Probably, one third human, but she looks the part, luckily. Some half Pokémon look more like their parent. We were told of some with fur, some with scales, claws, and some don't look remotely human. It's a strange thing. We were lucky, but some, won't have that kind of luck unless some laws are changed." Melody slowly nodded.

"I know we can trust you with this Melody." I said. She looked up at me. "Please, don't tell the others just yet. When they're ready, we'll tell them. Until then, it's another secret that you're in on." She smiled a little and nodded.

"I won't tell a s-s-soul." She said. "Promise." I smiled and put my hand on her head softly and she giggled.

"Thanks Melody." I said quietly. "You're a real friend." She giggled as she reached up, and I picked her up and hugged her, as did Liz.  
…

**At this point, you might wonder what Gene, Liz, and Angel said in French. I will now post what they said. If you want me to stop with the French, I will. He learned for the sake of helping his company negotiate. Angel and Liz wanted to speak to each other while Gene would be left raising his hands before walking away going 'okay, I know when to take a hint'. But for what they said, to those that don't want to get a slightly inaccurate translation, here it is. It's in the exact order of what they said.**

**Gene: Please excuse me for a second. It's a friend of mine. To the caller: Hello, you have reached Gene Alastor.**

**Angel: Come on Gene, French? I've paid attention to my lessons you know.**

**Gene: See you soon then. Goodbye, honey.**

**Angel: Goodbye, dad.**

**Gene: A little. You never know when you'll need to know. Regarding Max: Little pain in the neck. To Liz on how to defeat Lancelot: I think Shock Wave should suffice, and Psychic if he rises.**

**Liz: You fought well. Thank you. To Gene: I love you, my trainer.**

**Gene: And I you, my dancer.**

**This isn't exactly what they said, but what they meant. This concludes this chapter. Have a nice day.**


	10. Angel's Coal Badge

**Okay, a few weeks since the last chapter… Maybe longer. But it's been a while, that's the point. Now, I tried to post this earlier today, the tenth of February, but I couldn't log in… Or get to the login _screen_. So, I'm ticked about that already. If I have to post this on a Saturday because of this, or in longer than a week, I'm going to be quite angry.**

**That said, I like this chapter, and am happy to post it… Whenever I finally do. I hope you all like it as well. Introducing a new character, starting a subplot, it's going to be a good chapter, I hope.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do not own the rights to Pokémon. Thank you for your time.  
…**

"Angel, wake up." Johnny said quickly. "Wake up." I rolled over and put my pillow over my head. "Angel, we're going to be late."

"Late for what?" I asked tiredly. "My lessons? We're in Sinnoh."

"Yes, that's right." He said calmly. "We're in _Sinnoh_, in _Oreburgh_! We're going to be late for the _Gym battle_!" I opened my eyes and teleported into the bathroom, where my normal clothes were waiting on the door peg. I rapidly took off my pajamas and pulled on my shirt and pants. The shoes followed, along with my sunglasses. "Angel, don't fall over in there. Be careful."

"Don't worry, I'll be…" I started. "F-fine!" I slipped a little but managed to put my foot down. "I'm cool, I'm cool. I'm alright." I cleared my throat and pulled on my gloves as my shoelaces moved to tie themselves. "Johnny, did you get my backpack ready?"

"I did." He said. "I've got it in my hand." I heard a noise and he laughed. "Penny, when did you get in there?" I opened the door and walked out to see Penny sticking her head out of the bag, and I smiled as she looked at me. "I guess this should make it easier to carry her." He gently stroked her head and she closed her eyes. When he stopped she looked at me as I walked over and turned. He put the pack on my shoulder and I looked back to see her looking at me. I reached back and scratched her chin, making her smile again. "We should get going soon."

"Yeah, we have to get in before anyone else does." I said. "That nap sure went by fast though." He laughed as we walked out of the room.

"Oh, you're leaving so soon?" Nurse Joy asked. I nodded.

"We have a Gym battle with Roark." I said.

"Well, you should know that, your father has news for you." She said. I looked at her. "He will tell you later. Don't worry about it for now. Go ahead and beat Roark. Your friend won rather handily, thanks to Elizabeth. I can't imagine how you could lose with such a strong, and handsome, Gallade." I felt Johnny's embarrassment at her comment, and I knew he was blushing as red as his eyes.

"Thank you." He said quietly. He cleared his throat. "We should hurry. Hopefully we'll get there before anyone else." I laughed as Penny set her head on my shoulder. I reached back and gently rubbed her head and she groaned contentedly.

"Here is the keycard to the room." I said. I handed it to her and she nodded. "Thanks again."

"You're welcome, Miss Alastor." She said quietly. I smiled as I turned and walked over to Johnny. Together, we walked out and turned down the path that led to the Gym.

"This should be interesting." Johnny said. "I wonder how we'll measure up to your father." I laughed quietly.

"We probably won't be too close just yet." I said. "Don't forget, he's been training with mom for over four years, and he studied for ten years before that. He's a lot better than we are, for now. One day though, we're going to be just as good as he is, maybe better."

"I know we will." He said. "I'm going to train as hard as I can. I won't let you down." I smiled and felt Penny tapping my shoulder, so I looked at her.

"Me too." She said. "I'm gonna be really strong, so I can keep up with Mr. Johnny." Johnny laughed.

"Please, just call me Johnny." He said. We all laughed as we reached the door. We stopped for a moment as I looked up at it. "So, is the whole door thing going to run in the family?" I thought for a moment about the door and shrugged.

"Nope." I said simply. "It's a big door. It's there to let people in and out, and keep bad weather outside. That's pretty much why doors exist, so, that's why they're there. Why they're big, I have no idea, but I don't think it's some big mystery. Gene's just letting his curiosity get the better of him." I looked at him and after a second we laughed. "Come on, better get in and put your training to the test before someone beats us to it." He nodded as we turned to the door, and he opened it as we walked forward. When we got in, we saw Roarke standing at the other side, his back turned, with a book in one hand and a pickaxe in the other. I waited for a moment before I softly cleared my throat. "Excuse me, Mr. Roarke? I'm here for our match." He turned and smiled as he closed the book.

"You're right on time." He said. "I was just checking the mining statistics for the week." He put the book back and set the pick on the ground. "So, one on one, or two?" I looked back and Penny somewhat went into the backpack. I felt that she was shy, so I smiled and rubbed her head.

"Penny's feeling a bit shy." I said as I looked over. "I guess one on one for now." He nodded and pulled out a Pokéball. He opened it toward the field as Johnny walked forward, stretching his arms. "Good luck."

"To you as well." He said as his Cranidos appeared. "We've trained hard since the last few challengers."

"Like Mr. Alastor?" I asked. He laughed.

"He beat us pretty good." He said. "He had a blue Gardevoir, and I knew we were going to lose. Everyone's heard about how he beat Sabrina on an even playing field back when she was just, brutal…"

"Was?" Johnny asked.

"Turned out she was obsessed with her powers from childhood." He said. "Her psychic powers were so strong she turned her mother into a doll, until a kid came by and managed to change her… I think he had a Haunter with him that made her laugh, which fixed her spirit." He laughed. "That's what I've heard, anyway." I smiled slightly. "But we should get started. I know he looks strong, but looks aren't everything. After all, Mr. Alastor's Gardevoir looked pretty much harmless, and she picked up my Onix like he was made out of feathers." I nodded as a referee walked onto the field.

"If everyone is ready." He said. Johnny and I nodded together as Roarke smiled. "Begin!"

"Let's do this quick Johnny." I said. "TP, PC, then CC."

"Hit him with…" Roarke started to say. Johnny vanished and reappeared in front of Cranidos and swung his right blade, leaving a long pink cut along its chest. Cranidos staggered before Johnny launched into a rapid barrage of punches that I could only just follow, and that was by letting my eyes go out of focus to follow the blur just enough to catch sight of his fists as they struck. Roarke put his hands to his chest as Johnny delivered one last uppercut that threw Cranidos to the ground a few feet away. "Oh, why do I keep underestimating Psychic types?" He laughed as Johnny appeared near me, and I hugged him.

"Great job Johnny." I said happily. Roarke sighed as he recalled Cranidos.

"At least Gene showed a little mercy." He said with a laugh. "You must be in a hurry."

"Mr. Alastor is a friend of ours." I said as I stepped away from Johnny. "He has two badges already, and I want to try to catch a few Pokémon before we try our hand at fighting Gardenia. I want to catch a Fire type so I can train some friends." I rubbed the back of my head as he walked over with the badge. "I want to catch up and see him off from Eterna City. He'll wait a few days, but he'll still want to go soon." He laughed as he gave me the badge.

"Say hi for me." He said. He turned to Johnny and held out his hand. "Nice meeting you both. Good luck." Johnny shook his hand.

"Thanks." We said. We laughed as I opened my badge case and put it in, smiling.  
…

I put the phone to my ears and smiled as we walked, one hand in my pocket while Johnny carried my backpack, but to our surprise, Penny was riding on his shoulder, biting down just enough to hold on. It was definitely something we didn't expect, but it was funny to see. After a few seconds, the line didn't pick up, and I blinked before trying it again.

"Is something wrong?" Johnny asked.

"They didn't pick up." I said. "The only reason my dad wouldn't… Pick up…" The line rang and went to his messages and I blushed. "Uh, maybe I don't want him to answer." He laughed and I shook my head. I definitely _did not_ want that image in my head.

"Hello, you've reached the voicemail of Gene Alastor." His voice said. "I'm more than likely out training with my friends, busy with a conference call, or I might be taking a shower. It's anyone's guess, but please, leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I possibly can. Ciao." It beeped and I laughed.

"Hey Gene, it's Angel." I said. "I'm on my way to Eterna by way of the forest. I'll be there as quick as I can, but I need to make a few new friends. Johnny was great, and he took down Cranidos in three hits. I think he'd give you a run for your money… Maybe." I giggled. "Penny's doing fine. She's currently latched onto Johnny's shoulder with her jaws. It's really cute." Johnny laughed. "So, uh, we're on our way. Say hi to Liz for me. And you two…" I grinned. "Grow up! You're like teenagers!" I hit the end button and laughed while Johnny sputtered a laugh.

"Angel, don't get them in trouble." He said.

"Come on, that could mean _anything_." I said. "I could have been talking about jumping on the bed or leaving their things on the floor." We laughed as we approached the forest. "So, I wonder what kind of new friend we'll make in here."

"Hopefully a good fire type friend." He said. "We should probably do a two on two in that case. I'll be glad to see how Gene's friend fights firsthand."

"Well, just don't get cocky." I said. "You know not to overdo it. In fact, I might ask for a one on one just to teach you a lesson." He looked at me and I pointed at him. "Don't give me those Growlithe eyes. They won't work this time." He sniffed quietly and I playfully crossed my arms and looked away. "No. You have to prove you can be serious." He sighed.

"Fine, I'll take it seriously." He said. "I mean, your f-friends, take Gardenia seriously. I will too." That was close. Even if it was only Penny, dad told us to make absolutely sure not to let my nature be known unless the one we told could be really trusted. She was still young, and we barely knew her. We needed to make sure she understood just what the problem would be. "Hey, look." I looked at him and he pointed, so I followed his finger and I saw a Lopunny watching us.

"Oh, so cute…" I said quietly. "I wonder if it's a boy or a girl."

"Boy." He said. "Trust me, I can tell by the way he's eyeing you." I blushed and looked at him.

"Are you sure _she_ isn't eyeing you?" I asked. "Well, could still be a he." He laughed nervously.

"And it could be a _she_ watching you." He said. We laughed as we stopped. "So, think that'd be a good spar for me?"

"No." I said. "If we fought every wild Pokémon we met, it'd be pointless, and it'd waste time. Let's get through and meet up with Gene… After, you know, we find a new friend to help against Gardenia." Penny shook so I gently picked her up and she looked at me. "What is it Penny?"

"Staravia." She said. I looked as she pointed. "They're good against grass." I nodded and smiled as the bird flapped its wings and swooped down, grabbing a worm from the ground and eating it as it landed on a tree. I went to walk when I felt a strange but familiar emotion. I looked at the Lopunny as it slowly walked out.

"Uh, Johnny, what's, that emotion?" I asked. "I, felt that around, my parents…"

"That, would be love." He said. "And, judging by the way the Lopunny is walking… I'd guess, female after all." She walked closer and reached her hand out and touched my shoulder.

"You, look human…" She said softly. I blushed deeply.

"I, I am." I said. I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry, but…" She leaned in and I stepped back. "I'm sorry, but I have to be somewhere, and, I want to try to befriend that, Staravia." I stepped back a little more as she got closer.

"Could I, be your friend?" She asked. Johnny laughed as he slowly took Penny.

"How about _I_ ask the Staravia, while you uh, get acquainted?" He suggested. I moved back slightly more.

"Y-you seem like a, very nice Lopunny…" I said. "But, I, I don't, think we're, that compatible." She slowly put her hands to her chest. "I, I'm sorry." She lowered her head.

"Well, if you ever change your mind, I will be here." She said. "Even, if all I could be is a friend…" I cleared my throat but before I spoke I had a thought.

"W-well…" I said quietly. "Do you, know what a Gym is?" She nodded.

"Yes, humans have friendly battles with their Pokémon." She said. "To see who can train their friends to be the strongest." I slowly reached for a Pokéball. "I admit, that I am not very strong, but, I could learn… Perhaps, from this, strong Gallade?" I felt his embarrassment as I held the ball out. Dad had Melody, so, I could have a Lopunny… A very amorous one, but, hopefully she'd just settle for having friends and not mates.

"W-welcome to the team." I said. She smiled and touched it, and my hand. "Friend." She giggled as the light enveloped her. The ball didn't even shake, but before I could release her it opened and she smiled. "Oh, cool. You found the release lever quickly."

"I have been caught before." She said. "My, previous trainer thought I wouldn't be as happy away from my friends, and he was right, but, now I want to see if I can help you… My new friends." I smiled and put the ball on my belt, and she suddenly hugged me, making me yelp.

"Uh, uh, y-yeah, friends…" I said. I slowly returned the hug and she nuzzled my neck. "Oh boy, what have I done?" She giggled as Johnny laughed.

"You've made us a new friend." He said. "A very friendly Lopunny." She let go of me and quickly hugged him, making Penny nearly fall, but she managed to hold onto his arm with a quick bite, making him yelp as well while I laughed. "Uh, I'm, Johnny."

"And I'm Angel." I said. She let go of him and he carefully put Penny in the backpack again. "That's Penny."

"Do I get a name?" She asked. I looked at her and thought for a second, and I smiled.

"Harmony." I said. She smiled.

"Harmony…" She repeated softly. "I like it."

"It fits." Johnny said. "You're in harmony with us." She hugged him again and he groaned quietly. "Definitely, friendly." I still felt that emotion from her, but it was definitely less powerful now. Maybe, she had been infatuated, and might still be with Johnny, but hopefully she'd keep it under control, especially in the different towns and cities.  
…

I stretched as we walked into the town, and I saw my dad stretching his arms as mom held Max in a small blanket with a bottle to his mouth. I felt a little jealous at first, but I knew she missed out on a lot thanks to my aging speed. Harmony was latched onto Johnny's arm much the way mom usually held onto dad, but Harmony was practically stuck to him like someone had put glue on him and she was now permanently stuck to him.

"Hey Gene!" I called. He turned and smiled before laughing while mom giggled softly. The little Riolu looked as he let go of the bottle.

"Yo." He said as we got closer. "Johnny, I see you made a new friend." Johnny laughed nervously.

"Yes, we did." He said. "This is Harmony." Melody giggled as dad smirked.

"Taking a leaf out of my book?" He asked. I laughed as he picked Melody up, and Drake moved onto his shoulder. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Harmony. I'm Gene, Angel's friend." He rubbed Melody's head, making the little Buneary swat playfully at his hands. "This is Melody. No doubt Angel thought of your name while thinking of her." Harmony's emotion once more had a loving feel to it, but mom stepped forward slightly. "This is Liz, my best friend. Angel's a good friend, but no one beats my partner for that title." Mom smiled as Max began drinking his formula again. "And this little blue fellow is Max, her adopted son." Max stopped and looked at him.

"Jerk." He said. I snickered as mom laughed quietly.

"That's his favorite word, and the only thing he calls me." He said. He nodded to Drake. "And this is my shoulder warmer, Drake." Drake patted his shoulder as he adjusted the wheat straw in his mouth.

"It's nice to meet you all." Harmony said. "You, are very handsome, Mr. Gene." Dad laughed quietly.

"Thank you." He said.

"And, you are very pretty, Liz." She said softly. Mom blushed deeper.

"As are you." She said. "So, I take it you and Johnny…" Johnny cleared his throat.

"She's, very friendly." He said. "Affectionate." Melody giggled.

"M-most Lopunny, are." She said. Harmony let go of Johnny and hugged my dad, sparking more jealousy from mom, but Melody giggled.

"It's nice to meet you, Harmony." Dad said. She moved over and hugged mom carefully, making the jealous feeling vanish instantly, and it was replaced by a little happiness. She loved making friends.

"Say, I think I left something in the room." Dad said. He knelt and set Drake and Melody down. "Angel, can you help me look for it real quick? Let's let the others get acquainted for a bit with Harmony." I nodded and we teleported to the room. As he sat on the edge of the bed, he cleared his throat. "So, Harmony seems, nice." I blushed.

"Uh, yeah." I said. "She's really friendly… Kind of, affectionate." He laughed and nodded.

"So I noticed." He said. "She hugged me like she's known me for years, and I could tell Liz was a little jealous."

"Well, Melody said it's normal, pretty much." I said. He nodded. "Uh, Nurse Joy said you had something to tell me?"

"They found the cure." He said. I gasped. "Really, they've finally cracked it and will have a dose for you on Friday at the latest." I smiled. "No more regular checkups, no more counting four days for each individual day, but, you only get one birthday a year, on your real birthday, not every three months." I giggled quietly.

"It's worth it." I said. I sighed. "This is great news." He nodded. "All those years, er, months, I wondered what you were talking to Nurse Joy about on the phone. When you told me, how different I was…"

"It hurt." He said. "And it hurt us when we found out. But this is a one shot cure that'll let you live a normal life from now on… Apart from the whole being two thirds Gardevoir." I laughed.

"Yeah, that's, that's still there." I said quietly. "But, I mean, I grew up fast… But I knew I'd have a life. Now, that life is going to be so much longer now. Next year, I'll be… Seventeen, not twenty."

"Well, five, as you normally would be anyway, but yeah." He said. I smiled as I sat on the chair behind me. "You grew up faster than I really wished you would. I thought, I mean, it took me twenty four years to get like this, and my little girl took only four to get to." He gestured to me and I blushed. "I would be thirty six if you had grown up like I did… I guess that means I get to be around to see a few milestones happen a lot sooner, but I really do wish I could have given you a real childhood, instead of trying to pack so many years into so few."

"Dad, it's okay." I said. I got up and walked over, sitting by him and putting my hand on his. "You, you really gave me a great childhood. I never, really wanted anything, apart from, well, attention. You gave me so much, I bet most kids would be jealous. You were always there for me, and when you weren't, mom was. I always had someone watching over me, making sure I was happy." I smiled. "I, I'm happy to be your daughter. I grew a little fast, but, I got the best daddy in the world." I hugged him and he laughed quietly as he returned the hug.

"And I got the best daughter I could have ever hoped for." He said. He rubbed my back carefully, avoiding the gem, and he patted my shoulder.


	11. Memories of Family

**It's been a good while since I last posted, but I hope this makes up for it, and I really hope you all enjoy it.**

**This chapter should make a few of you out there feel good, and will put thoughts at ease regarding Angel's condition, as well as the conditions of many in her situation. I know it made me feel good to write about it.**

**The Avid Gamer is to be thanked for his OCs, Jack 'The Flame' Flax and his mate Emily. Thank you for creating them. I may have them around a few times, if you don't mind me doing so.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to Pokémon.  
…**

"Okay, you'll feel a slight pinch." Nurse Joy said. Angel winced as the needle was inserted into her arm, and she held my hand the whole time. She was always nervous when she had to get a shot or if she was getting blood drawn, but she'd tough it out. She reminded me a lot of myself that way. "There. This will stabilize your DNA and slow down your metabolism to normal, for a human." She put the cotton to her arm and put the bandage over it, and Angel put her hand to the spot. "From now on, life might seem like it's a lot slower." I smiled and patted her hand.

"Thanks Nurse Joy." She said. "I really appreciate this." Joy smiled.

"Oh, it's nothing." She said. "Your father helped us develop this, and he made sure we had access to everything we needed, and more." Angel looked at me as I smiled a little more.

"Well, for my little girl, I'd buy the moon." I said. She blushed, but laughed quietly. "But, since that's not for sale, making it so you age one year for one year has to do." Everyone laughed, after which Liz walked over and fixed her hair.

"Mom." Angel said in a whining tone.

"So, what's the plan now?" I asked. "Should we travel together, or would you prefer to part ways and meet up now and then?"

"I think we should split up." She said. "I want to go see that flower town. I hear it's beautiful." Liz giggled.

"Floaroma." I said. "Well, we'll head to Oreburgh for some supplies real quick, and then we're off to Hearthome for our next badge, maybe a contest." She nodded. "Why don't we try to meet up at the park there, if we can?" She smiled.

"I'll try to be there." She said. "But, try to slow down, dad. The League doesn't start for a long time. It's been, what, two weeks since we landed? The League's registration doesn't start for seven months." I laughed.

"Yeah, I just want to make sure we get the badges and have time to relax." I said. "If we can take a month to rest before the League, then I'll be happy, but I'm shooting for three months at least." Angel moved off of the table and held out her hand.

"Then I'll see you three months before the League." She said. "Maybe, we can head to a beach?" I took her hand with a smile.

"Sounds good." I said. "A private beach." She giggled as I pointed at her gem. "Don't forget, you have to hide your gem." She let go of my hand but pointed at my arm.

"And your arm." She said. I heard a quiet fussing sound and looked as a Chansey walked in with Max and the others.

"Sorry, he's waking up." She said quickly. "He'll want his mommy." Liz smiled as she took Max from Chansey, and Max opened his eyes.

"Gene, could you get his bottle please?" She asked. I went to my pack and got the bottle and handed it to her. Max quickly began drinking the formula while we started walking back toward the front, and I picked up Melody and Drake as I walked. Harmony still had Johnny's arm, making me laugh. "What?"

"Familiar." I said. She looked at Johnny and smiled.

"Well, I feel like I've made a good friend." He said. They walked out ahead of us, mostly at Harmony's pace, or so it seemed. It was late, thankfully.

"D-Gene?" Angel asked. "Was it, ever like that with me? Liz and Max, I mean."

"Yes." I said. "When you were a little older but not quite ready for solid foods. She'd carry you and feed you with a bottle." I leaned over. "Let's just say we're both a little jealous." She pulled the front of my hat down and I laughed as I fixed it.

"Before you all leave, Miss Gardenia is going on a short training session tomorrow." Joy said. We looked at her as she moved behind her counter.

"Well, I've wanted to train Penny a little." Angel said. "And I should get to know Harmony better so we can train properly and get a routine."

"Well, I wish I could be here, but I want to get to Hearthome." I said. "Get a recording of the battle though." She playfully slugged my arm.

"You're not learning my technique that easily." She said. I smirked. "When we get to the League, I'm gonna give you a challenge you'll never forget."

"I'll hold you to it." I said.  
…

Liz sighed quietly as she set Max onto the makeshift bed. The others were sleeping, and Max had finally calmed down enough that he was sleeping quietly. When she got back up, I moved my hand to her shoulder and she looked at me, smiling.

"I like this." She said softly. "It, really feels good." I looked at her as she moved her arm around my waist.

"Yeah, it does." I said quietly. We looked at Max. "I guess this means I've got a son as well as a daughter."

"Gene…" She said. "You know, I'm really worried sometimes. About Angel. She's so much like you."

"I can see why you're worried." I said. She laughed quietly.

"I mean…" She said. "She's so, adventurous. She wants to see the world, and she wants to have a lot of friends. I'm just worried that, someone might find out about her, about us."

"One thing I know, if anyone finds out, they won't separate us." I said. We walked to the sleeping bag and sat down. We were most of the way back, but we just wanted to sleep outside. "No matter what happens, if someone finds out about us, I'll do whatever it takes to protect our family."

"So will I." She said. "No one's going to put my babies in danger." I smiled and kissed her cheek, making her blush a little. "Gene, I know, you hardly talk about your past, and, I understand why… But…" We'd talked a bit about my past, but mostly I was quiet unless she asked me to say something about it. "Before, the accident… Did you have any, really happy memories?" I smiled a little.

"I remember, when I was about, six." I said. "My parents took me to meet my mother's family, at a reunion. I met a few of my cousins, my aunts and uncles…" I laughed. "My cousin Nene, was probably the one person that I was actually comfortable around. She was, really shy, like I was back then. She talked to me though, and she was the only one there that didn't try to, buddy up to me." I shook my head. "Everyone else, they knew what it meant for me to be my father's son. Money, control, the moment my dad handed things over to me, then I owe my family, unlike my father who was 'too good to share with his new family'. One out of the family wasn't after my friendship because it meant getting rich from it." We leaned back and she cuddled up to my chest, slowly. "But, we're at the edge of the party when someone calls out that the food's done. We go over, and dad smiles, says he's happy I've made a new friend. Her mother's happy, a little too much, if you get my meaning." She nodded as I moved my arm around her midsection. "We're eating for a while, and the moment we're done, Nene's mother suggests I make friends with the rest of my cousins. Not wanting to make mom unhappy, I go talk to another one, but when Nene tries to talk, he just, pushes her away, and she falls over. Now, would you care to guess what my response was?"

"You, helped her up." She said.

"Before that?" I asked. She blushed.

"You hit him?" She asked.

"I did more than hit him." I said. "I knocked him out with a sucker punch to the chin." She winced. "He was nine years old, and I took him down on the spot. But Tweedle Dee has a brother, who runs over and tries to hit me, and succeeds. He's ten, and he managed to knock me on the ground, hard, but to my surprise, Nene hits his back, and he punches her." She looked at me as her hand moved to mine. "Now, as you know, humans with psychic abilities are better suited to befriending Psychic type Pokémon." She blinked. "Irony, it seems, that seeing my new friend punched and knocked down, triggers a surge of anger so great that it awakens my dormant power." She giggled quietly at my slight theatrical tone. "He starts floating up before spinning and landing hard on his chest as I scramble to get up. As he gets up, I go to punch him, but he's suddenly ten feet away and three feet in the air. Turns out my mom saw the commotion, knew my powers were coming around, and she stopped me from breaking his ribs with a psychic punch." She blushed. "Nene, left with her mother to get looked at, and, my parents took me away from the reunion, never once apologizing for what I had done, having watched the whole thing from the sidelines… I haven't, heard from my mother's family, since that day, over eighteen years ago."

"Have you ever wondered what happened to Nene?" She asked.

"Yeah, once in a while." I said. "She was, the only friend I had, and then, I never once heard about what happened to her." She was silent for a moment, and I knew what she was thinking. "I should, call some of my family. See what they're up to, how they're doing." She sighed as she moved a little closer, and the sleeping bag moved up as my shirt and pants, and her dress, were teleported behind us.

"Good night." She said softly. I smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Good night." I said quietly. She closed her eyes, smiling.  
…

"_Shut up." The boy said. He shoved Nene aside, and she fell, and I felt my anger boiling. As he looked at me I balled my fist and punched him in the jaw, hard. He fell back and hit the ground, out cold. As I went to see if Nene was okay, I heard footsteps._

"_Are you…" I started. I was shoved aside and hit the ground near my unconscious cousin._

"_No one messes with my little bro!" He said indignantly. He went to hit me when Nene jumped at him, hitting him._

"_Leave Gene alone!" She cried. He pushed her back and punched her, and I narrowed my eyes, gritting my teeth, and suddenly he hit the ground on his chin. He coughed as I got up, and he stood up._

"_You tripped me!" He yelled. I ran at him and went to punch him, when he flew back, my fist touching his shirt. He hit the ground as my mother walked over._

"_Gene, calm down." She said quickly. Nene's mother ran over as mom put her hand on my shoulder. "Come with us, we're leaving."_

"_But, but Nene…" I started._

"_We'll call and see if she's okay." Dad said. Mom took my hand and walked me along, and made me float when I started falling behind. It was her way of making sure I didn't try to slip away. I looked at Nene as she looked back at me. When she went into the house, I looked up as she helped me into the car, and I moved to the seat as dad went around and got in. "Home." Mom got in and sat next to me. After a few minutes, mom put her hand on me and began looking me over. "You made me proud, Gene."_

"_W-what?" I asked._

"_You stood up for your friend." Mom said. "We're proud of you for that."_

"_Speak for yourself." Dad said. "I was talking about that punch. Cheap shot, but you knocked him out." Mom sighed._

"_And you're lucky you weren't hurt." She said. "But sticking up for a friend is the right thing to do, never think otherwise, no matter what." I looked at her, and then at dad._

"_But, why did we have to leave?" I asked. "I wanted to make sure Nene is okay."_

"_Well, the party wasn't exactly going that good for us." Dad said._

"_They kept trying to steer the conversations toward their money problems." Mom said. "But I keep tabs on my family, and, there are no problems. They just want our money." I looked at her as she put my seatbelt on. "But that's not important." She put her hand to my forehead and I moved back. "You didn't trip him."_

"_You're like your mother now." Dad said. "That was a psychic attack. Your fist was glowing. You might have really hurt that boy." I looked at them for a few moments. "Let's just say, you've got a rare talent, and you can do something not a lot of people can do."_  
…

I opened my eyes to see Liz holding Max, his bottle held in his little paws as he made quiet sounds. I felt my clothes on me again, and Liz had her dress on. She had a concerned look though, as she looked at me.

"Bad dream?" She asked. I sat up.

"Old memory." I said. "After the reunion."

"Trouble?" She asked.

"My parents, talked to me in the car." I said. "Told me they were proud I stood up for Nene, and that I was developing my powers." I put my hand on my knee. "It was, confusing at the time. But, it turned out I could only use my powers when I was, angry, focused on what I was angry at. Mom decided it would be for the best that I never try to use it." I laughed. "Ever, wonder why I'm always so calm?"

"Because, your mother taught you to, control your anger?" She suggested. I shook my head.

"My dad." I said. "He'd, teach me how to calm myself down. If I got mad, he'd just give me this, look. It made me calm down _so_ fast… I started, imagining my dad looking at me like that, whenever I got mad from then on…" I was silent and she gave me a knowing look. She knew something wasn't right with me. "I was, ten, the night before the accident. I'd just gotten back from school, and my dad got a call that a boy was bullying me, and I didn't do anything about it. I had a, black eye, from being punched." I gestured to my right eye. "I get home and, he asks why I didn't fight back. I just, tell him that he wasn't worth getting mad over. He wasn't hurting anyone else, so, there was no reason to get in trouble because of him." She looked like she wanted to smile. "He said, that he was proud of me, for not letting a bully get the better of me."

"I'm proud of you, too." She said quietly. "I've always wondered how you do it. How you, stayed calm with those two from Team Rocket, when they wanted to steal me. You actually clapped when we were with Gardenia the second time." I smiled.

"Yeah, my dad, did something right, just by giving me that look." I said. Max fussed quietly and I looked over as Liz put the bottle down and put him on her shoulder, patting his back gently until he burped. When she held him out, he moved a little. She set him down and he looked over at me. "It's too early to bite me Max. Just…" He gave me a look of anger. "Cool it. Think of me as your dad."

"Jerk." He said. I hung my head and grabbed my hat. "Jerk, dad."

"Close enough." I said after a moment. I put my hat on and stood up, and Liz put the bottle in the pack. "Let's wake the others. It's about five thirty." Liz looked at my cell phone and opened it before looking at me.

"I still don't know how you do that." She said, making the phone float into my pocket. I opened the flap and Max ran out, and I watched as he looked around. "Max, don't go too far." She stepped out and I followed, and the Pokéballs opened. Melody stretched and looked at us before Drake put his piece of wheat straw in his mouth, as usual. "Good morning everyone."

"G-good morning." Melody said. Drake nodded.

"I am still surprised at how comfortable it is in that, ball." Julie said.

"It makes me wonder just what it's like." I said. They laughed quietly. "No, really, humans can't go into a Pokéball, so, sometimes we wonder."

"I-it's a little dark, but c-comfy." Melody said. "It's like, w-w-we're floating in nothing, but th-there's something under us… O-or, that's how it is with me."

"It's like that in my ball." Drake said.

"Mine as well." Julie said. I put my hand to my chin.

"Sounds nice." I said. I went to speak when my phone rang. I pulled it out and looked at it. It was Jack Flax. I opened the phone with a smile. "Hello Jack."

"Gene, it's been a while." He said. "How's Sinnoh?"

"It's alright." I said. "The weather is calm, it's early morning, and I've made some new friends since we touched down. Where are you?"

"On my way to Sinnoh." He said. "When I heard you were there, I knew I had to check up on you and Liz… Hmmm?" I heard Emily talking to him and I heard him fiddle with the phone. "Emmy wants to talk to Liz." I pressed the speaker button as Liz looked over.

"Liz, are you there?" Emily asked. Liz's eyes brightened somewhat as she walked over.

"Emily, it's good to hear from you." She said. "Are you both okay?"

"We're fine, and we're coming to check on you both." Emily said. "Jack's calling Gene's other phone." I smirked and handed Liz the phone and she put it back to normal as I opened my other phone just as Jack called it.

"I'm glad they're such good friends." Jack said.

"Yes, it's great to have a friend that you can relate to." I said. "Speaking of, I hope you two haven't gotten into any trouble."

"We're alright so far." He said. "We're pretty careful, and I never talk about anything remotely related to it when we're in public. We're on a ship right now, in our room. The others are at the spa onboard. Grim is particularly happy to see his little girl so happy." I leaned against a tree, laughing quietly. "How's Angel doing, by the way?"

"She's fine, and there's fantastic news." I said. "The vaccine was finished and she's taken it already. A once in a lifetime dose, and she'll age normally from now on." He laughed.

"Good to hear." He said. "I can't wait to finally meet her… What does she look like, anyway? You said she's four?"

"She looks like a healthy sixteen year old." I said. "Time sure flies." We both laughed as Liz smiled.

"Well, we figure about three days and we'll be on our way to Oreburgh." He said. "From there, well, we're not sure, but we might hit up your friend Gardenia's Gym. Should be easy with my team."

"Go easy on her." I said. "Angel's taking her on tomorrow. That's reason enough to be a little, nice to her." He laughed.

"Any chance we might meet up?" He asked.

"Tell you what…" I said after a few seconds of thought. "You tell me when you've beaten Roarke, and are outside of the Gym. I should be in Hearthome around then for a Gym battle and a contest. There's a park where we can catch up. I can teleport over to you, and I'll teleport us all back."

"Sounds good to me." He said. I heard a laugh. "Emmy's with you for that idea. Should be fun."


	12. Going to Hearthome

**It's been a long time, but a burst of inspiration came to me and I got this chapter finished. So, I hope it is enjoyed by all of you. There have been small changes to my writing style since last I posted for this, so hopefully it improves it, because I don't know how to go back to my older style from when this was last worked on.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to Pokémon. Thank you, and have a very nice day.  
…**

I yawned quietly as I looked at the display of my phone. I had received a message while we were asleep. Liz pulled her dress on and looked over at me.

"Who was it?" She asked. I opened the phone and checked it, and smiled.

"I've got my cousin's number." I said. "I didn't have anyone check on her, but, I hope she's okay."

"When will you call her?" She asked. I looked at the tent and then at the phone's display to double check.

"Well, it's a little past eight." I said. "We slept in." She smiled as she settled onto the ground next to me, putting her hand on mine.

"Maybe she'll be awake." She said. I looked at her and she kissed my forehead. "Call her. I'll feed Max outside." She giggled. "I'm, feeling a little full. It's healthier than his formula." I kissed her.

"And I'm jealous of a Riolu now." I said. She laughed.

"Call." She said as she stood up. "Let me know how it turns out." I watched her walk out, sighing. "Later." I laughed as I dialed the number. As I put the phone to my ear, I smiled. When it picked up, I felt, hopeful.

"Hello?" A female voice asked.

"Nene?" I asked.

"Y-yes, this is Nene." She said. "Who is this?"

"Gene." I said. She was silent for a moment.

"Gene, who?" She asked.

"Alastor." I said. "Your cousin."

"G-Gene, is it, really you?" She asked quickly.

"Yes, it's me." I said. "I'm truly sorry for not calling sooner, but, I never had your number, and, I guess I just didn't want to think back on the past…"

"O-oh, it's perfectly fine." She said. "After, what happened to, Cecilia and Bruce… I, I'm not, surprised. But, I thought they were, keeping you from, calling."

"No…" I said. "They, didn't know your number either." We laughed. "So, how have you been? Did what's his name hurt you when he knocked you down?" She laughed.

"I'm fine." She said. "I've, been doing alright. I've had a little bad luck, but I'm, making the most of it…"

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Well, my parents, sort of, disowned me, a few years back." She said. I felt my heart sink a little. "Apparently they, expected me to, be your friend, so I could ask for money later on… I, I've, had your number for years, your home number, at least. They wanted me to, ask for a small fortune…"

"Well, I've been pretty generous." I said. She laughed.

"Well, I won't ask for money." She said. "Not from family. I, may not be part of my parents' family, the whole of them disowned me, so, you're, the only family I've got left… But I'm not going to try to take advantage."

"Well, I don't see it as such." I said. "Family helps family, you know?"

"I, I guess…" She said. I heard someone in the background. "J-just a… No, Franky, no, it's my cousin. My cousin, y-you know, the one I told you about, with the, yeah, him. No, I, I can't, he's… Franky…" I heard someone take the phone.

"Um, sir, Mr. Alastor?" Franky asked. I was surprised. It was a girl's voice.

"Hello." I said. "Nene's, friend?"

"Um, her, girlfriend, actually." She said. "I was wondering, if you, knew about how much Nene's been through."

"Franky, please…" Nene said.

"I assume more than she wanted to tell me." I said.

"Yes, a, a lot more." She said. "Where are you?"

"I'm on my way to Hearthome." I said. "I'll be there in a few days, after I get some supplies from Oreburgh. Why?"

"Well, we, actually, live in Hearthome." She said. "Could you, possibly, stop by?"

"Franky…" Nene said pleadingly.

"I'll be happy to make time for family." I said. "I hope I'll get to find out what I'm not privy to at the moment." She laughed.

"Yeah, it, would be best to say in person." She said. "She told me, about the day you hit that bully. Thank you, for that. That's how, Nene and I met… Uh, different, time, of course."

"I'll be by in a few days." I said. "Don't worry about anything fancy or all that. I'm just happy I get a chance to meet my cousin and her girlfriend." She made a noise, a kind of whimper.

"I, I'll give her the phone now." Franky said shakily. "She's, got this, trick that… Makes me do, anything, she wants…" I laughed. The phone moved and I heard Franky sigh. "Nene, you know what that does to me." I blushed and fought a laugh.

"Um, Gene?" She asked nervously.

"Don't worry, I'll be by soon." I said. "Just a few days out. I need some supplies, and then I'll be on my way. If you want though, I can get there sooner."

"Uh, I…" She started. "Well, there's nothing, important that needs you to, hurry…"

"If you need anything, just give me a call." I said. "We've got some catching up to do." She laughed.

"Yeah." She said. "Um, I, I can hardly wait. S-see you soon."

"See you in a few days, Nene." I said. "If you do want to prepare, I haven't had cheese puffs in, six, seven years." She laughed.

"Okay." She said. "Um, if you, want to bring something… Is, your Gardevoir with you?"

"Always." I said. "My best friend and partner is never far away." I saw Liz's silhouette as she moved a hand suggestively down her side, knowing I was looking at her. "I know she'll be happy to meet you."

"Thank you." She said. "G-goodbye… Franky…"

"You started it." I said. She laughed. "Have fun. Bye." She ended the call and I closed the phone, teleporting my clothes on. I stepped out and Liz looked over as I put the phone away.

"She's doing fine, and we're going to meet her." I said.

"Where is she?" She asked. "Is it, far out of the way?"

"She's in Hearthome, of all places." I said, raising my eyebrows. "I'm sure we'll be able to find her." She smiled as she patted Max's back, and he burped.

"There's a good boy." She said warmly. I smiled as she laughed softly. "He's a hungry little boy."

"I'm sure he's going to grow up to be a very strong Lucario someday." I said. Max shifted and she moved to cradle him in her arms, and he looked at me.

"Jerk." He said. I tipped my hat down. "Dad, jerk."

"I'll take what small victories I can get." I said. "My name is 'Gene'. Can you say Gene?"

"Gene, dad…" He said. "Jerk." Liz stifled a laugh and I was silent for a moment.

"Max, I think we might get along yet." I said. He looked at Liz as she laughed quietly, and he made a quiet sound. She tickled his belly and he began squirming, but I could tell he was enjoying the treatment.

"Come on, let's see a smile." She said happily. I smiled a little more as he began squirming again, fighting slightly, but not like he was really trying. "There we are, a happy little boy." She moved closer and rubbed his nose with hers. "_My_ happy little boy." He laughed as she giggled.  
…

I stretched as we walked into Oreburgh, and I looked to see the sky. It was a little stormy, but it wasn't too bad.

"Gene, look." Liz said. I looked at her and where she was pointing, and I saw a young couple walking along. I just laughed quietly. The way they were holding each other's hands brought up so many memories. "Isn't it wonderful to see young love?" I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, it's, a beautiful sight…" I said. "It brings back memories." She giggled. Max was sleeping in her arms, I had Melody, Drake was on my back, and Julie was in her ball. If the couple challenged us, it would be fun, but we were on a schedule. While I had that thought, the girl began pulling the boy into a hotel, and a familiar emotion made itself known from them. "Well, I guess they won't be challenging us."

"What are they d-d-doing?" Melody asked.

"Something for grownups to know about." I said. She looked up at me and I rubbed her head. "Don't worry, I'll tell you about it someday." She was silent while Liz laughed, and Drake tapped my shoulder. "What's up?" He pointed. "Okay, okay. Onward." Melody giggled while we started walking again. "Reminds me a lot of Liz when we were starting out. She was a Kirlia, sitting on my shoulders like a little kid, and she'd tap my head and point to where to go next."

"So, we'll get the supplies and head toward the mountain pass?" Liz asked.

"That's about the plan." I said. "I'm just looking forward to seeing Nene again. Eighteen years… I know I've changed a lot, but, I knew her for one day. I wonder what's changed from that…" I looked at her. "You know, Franky told me how she and Nene met. I'm not sure who, but I'm assuming someone was trying to hurt Franky, and Nene went over and decked the guy." She laughed.

"Well, you had a, good influence on her." She said. "Kind of." We both laughed as we walked in, and I looked at the Pokémart.

"I'll be back soon." I said. "Why don't you go check in with Roarke? See how he handled being beaten by Angel."

"Okay." She said. "Drake, you and Melody keep him out of trouble. I've got enough on my hands with Max." Max squirmed a little, most likely to get comfortable. Drake waved one hand while Melody giggled.

"O-okay." She said. She patted my arm. "Y-y-you be on your best b-behavior." I laughed as we walked away and I opened the door with a thought. I looked back as Liz glided toward the Gym. I looked back in and immediately saw something that made me smile. "Gene?"

"Excuse me." I said. The woman at the counter looked at me. "Is that the new model of Pokéball?"

"Yes, it is." She said. "Wow, I didn't think anyone would be able to tell the difference. How did you know?"

"Well, let's just say I know a guy that knows a guy." I said. I walked over and Melody looked up at me as I looked at a ball, and picked one up. "Yeah, there it is. Series six, type D. Made for comfort, and still the same price as a series C."

"You want to buy some?" She asked.

"No, I just, thought these weren't being shipped anywhere for a few weeks." I said. "I'm glad to see they've pushed these out early. Did you get the new Luxury Ball D series?" I looked at her as I carefully set the ball back.

"No, not yet." She said. "I don't see the difference."

"Each ball is handcrafted." I said. "No two are alike, but all are made to be pleasing to the eye of a trainer, and very comfortable inside."

"Do you subscribe to Silph's newsletter?" She asked.

"I have a, lot of stock in the company." I said with a laugh. "I often ask about new products." She nodded and I looked at Melody as she giggled, and I rubbed her head between her ears.

"Wait, did you, get some early?" She asked.

"I'm a product tester as well as a stockholder." I said. "I have a few for my friends." I cleared my throat. "Sorry if I bothered you, or interrupted your break. I'm here for supplies, and here I go again, distracted by something interesting." She laughed.

"Well, actually, I find it cool that you know so much about Silph products, tester or not." She said. Melody moved a bit and I looked at her, so I set her down on the floor, where Drake promptly slid down and walked up to her.

"Okay, here's the list." I said. "Hopefully it'll be close to where you can reach. Get a basket." They nodded as I handed them the list.  
…

I leaned back as Liz held several marshmallows over the fire with her psychic power while Max squirmed to get more comfortable, and Drake played tag with Melody. Julie was resting by the fire, watching the marshmallows. I had a stick in my hand, holding a hotdog over the fire.

"This is nice." Julie said. I nodded. "I'm sorry I spent so much time in the ball… It's just, so comfortable."

"I had the best guys on it." I said.

"I don't know where you find the time." Liz said. "You've been taking care of so much, and you still find time to send messages to the research departments of all of your companies."

"Well, they run themselves well, knowing what I'd want them to work on." I said. "But when I have an idea, I call someone who makes sure the suggestions are worked on if they're not patented already. If they are, I buy the patent and have them get on it." I tilted my hat up a little. "Often, it happens when I'm getting ready for a shower, so I use the smart phone."

"The, what phone?" Julie asked. I pulled the phone out and turned it.

"It has a touchpad and a lot of special features." I said. "Eight out of ten times I use this to relay emails. The current major project is making a unique model that's cheap and reliable, nearly unbreakable, and has a special application that replicates the transport functions of the PCs in the Pokémon Centers."

"Wow." She said quietly.

"That's Gene for you." Liz said. "Ambitious, but he has the resources to throw at it, and a thousand other projects all at once." They laughed as the hotdog case cracked loudly, but I pointed at the marshmallows. "Oh, no, not again." She moved them quickly and put them out. "How do I always manage to burn them?"

"You were staring at his face." Julie said. Liz laughed quietly.

"Well, for a human, he's very handsome." She said. "And his eyes, one piercing blue, the other an oddly calming red, that scruffy chin…" I put the phone away and felt my beard. "And that jaw… Come on Julie, tell me you don't think he's a handsome human." Julie laughed.

"Well, for a human, he is handsome." She said. They both smiled as I leaned forward a little and grabbed a bun. I pulled the stick back and pulled the hotdog off with the bun. Setting the stick down I grabbed some ketchup and put just enough on.

"Perfect." I said.

"Showoff." Liz said quietly. She tossed a marshmallow at me, and I caught it between my teeth, making them laugh while Max held one paw at the others. I blew on the marshmallow for a moment and picked it out after setting the ketchup down. "How is it I can never be mad at you?" I winked at her.

"Because, for a human, I'm very handsome." I said. They laughed as Max grabbed a marshmallow and sniffed it before biting it. He seemed surprised, and began fussing quietly as he tried to get the gooey marshmallow off of his mouth. He swallowed and pulled his paw back, but as Liz went to help he began waving his hand, just fast enough to throw the marshmallow off, landing it right in Julie's tail. "Lick your lips, Max, that's the best way to get the goo off of you." Liz giggled as he slowly started licking, and after a few minutes he had made progress, so I ate my hotdog.

"How do they taste?" Julie asked. One hovered over and she ate it, smiling as she chewed it.

"Sweet, and gooey." Liz said. "Always delicious." She ate one while Max held his paw out again, and one floated over.

"Eat it slower this time." I said. I went to eat mine when his flew right in my mouth. I stared for a moment before looking at him.

"Eat, slow." He said. I smirked as I ate it, but I held mine out to him, and he slowly took it.

"I was right about you being strong." I said. He seemed to calm down a little as I leaned back.

"Wow, I think you might be getting through." Liz said. I smiled a little as he ate the marshmallow. "So, we'll get in, tomorrow?"

"Around midday if we're lucky." I said. "If we get into a battle, maybe a little after lunch." She nodded.

"Good." She said. "I look forward to meeting Nene."

"We'll head there first." I said. "Hopefully we can help with whatever the trouble is."

"Play." Max said. We looked at him. "Nene, play."

"You want to play while you're there?" Liz asked. He turned and pointed toward Melody and Drake. "Of course. They're your friends." He turned back, but I heard a sound, so I looked over as Melody stopped cold where she was, making Drake bounce off of her. While he recovered, a light engulfed Melody. "Is she, evolving?" I got up a little as Melody grew.

"She is." Julie said. When the light faded, Melody looked at her hands. Liz stood up as well as Drake looked up, putting his straw between his lips.

"Wow, th-this is me?" Melody asked. "This is c-c-cool…" she looked over, holding her hands to her chest. "I still s-stutter." She looked down at Drake. "I g-guess I'm too tall for t-t-tag now."

"Hide and seek?" He suggested a few seconds later. She laughed.

"C-cool…" She said. "B-but, it's about time to go to s-sleep now." He yawned quietly as Max watched, and they walked over. She held her hand out to me. "G-glad I'm t-t-taller now?"

"Well, I don't get to carry you around anymore." I said. "And I was just getting used to having someone to warm my arms." She laughed as I took her hand. "And now it's easier to look each other in the eye." As I let go of her hand, Liz held hers out.

"And now I can teach you to dance." She said. Melody took her hand and they laughed.

"They grow up so fast, don't they?" Julie asked. Liz and I laughed as I turned and put my hand on the side of her neck, rubbing a spot that made her laugh with us. "Hey… That tickles."  
…

"Gene?" Liz asked quietly. "Do you, think Nene will like me?" I slowly rubbed her arm.

"I know she will." I said quietly. "Because you're fun to be around, you're smart, you have a great sense of humor…" She kissed me and leaned onto my chest. "And, I lost my train of thought… Something, to do with, marshmallows, I think…" She laughed and ran her finger along my shoulder.

"I'm not so perfect…" She said. "I'm just, a little stronger than most other Gardevoir my age would be." I closed my eyes and kissed her forehead.

"You are perfect, to me." I said. She sighed.

"It's hard to believe, we still act like this." She said. "From what I've seen, most couples would have, calmed down by now, settled into things… Here we are, still, like a new couple…" She moved her hips a little, making me rub her back just under the gem. "Not that, I'm going to complain."

"I couldn't if I wanted to." I said softly. "I have a beautiful mate, who just happens to enjoy my company, which is always good." She smiled. "She's smart, friendly, and enjoys snuggling up close to help us stay warm at night." She moved a little more. "And, she really does enjoy making love, fairly often."

"Well, it's not like you ever say no." She whispered. "All I have to do is let you know, and you find a place where we can be alone…" I moved my hand to the middle of her back, and she sighed. "Gene, I really hope, Nene likes me." I kissed her forehead again.

"She will." I said. "If she doesn't, I'll just ask her to keep it to herself."


	13. Family and Security

**Here we are, chapter thirteen, and a lovely chapter it is, am I right? Well, that would be a question for the end. Regardless, I like this chapter, and I hope you all do as well. Without further ado… The disclaimer.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to Pokémon. Sometimes, I wish I had some say, but hey, they're doing their thing, and that's their choice.  
…**

I stretched as we walked up to the house, and I checked the phone. Liz looked at the yard. It wasn't a big house, but it had a strong warmth about it, like it was truly a home.

"I hope this is it." Liz said. "I like it."

"Me too." Melody said.

"This is, indeed, Nene's home." I said. Max moved slightly in Liz's arms, and she looked at him.

"Julie, Melody, please watch him, closely." She said. She slowly handed him to Melody, and he stared before nestling into the fur on her arms. "Oh, goodness…"

"Why is it he's so happy with anyone but me?" I asked. Melody giggled as Liz opened the fence. "Okay Drake, shoulder switch." He moved to my left shoulder as Melody walked beside me, and he transferred to her. "You keep an eye on Max, too. I can track the Pokéballs, but I can't track individuals." They slowly went to the side yard, and Liz and I went to the door. Liz stopped and adjusted my shirt. "Liz…" She fixed my hair, removing my hat and setting it down carefully.

"It's been eighteen years." She said. "You're handsome, but you still clean up _very_ nicely. You should look your best." I slowly lowered her hand and she looked at the door, so I knocked. The door opened slightly and I saw a red eye. "Hello." The door opened completely to reveal a Gardevoir with silver necklace, and a dark green cocktail dress instead of the average ball gown.

"Mr. Alastor?" She asked. I held my hand out.

"Please, call me Gene." I said. She slowly took my hand.

"Francisca." She said. Liz offered her hand as well. "And, you, are Liz."

"I am." She said happily. "It's nice to meet you." Francisca looked out slightly as Melody laughed. "Those are our friends. Is it okay if they, just have fun in the yard?"

"Nene won't mind." She said. "Please, c-come in. I'm sorry about the mess… Um, things, happened…" We walked in and there were clothes on the floor, among a few other things.

"That's not so bad." Liz said. "Honestly, our tents always end up such a mess no matter how fast we go to bed… Sometimes it's a mess before we step in."

"We?" Francisca asked.

"Two sleeping bags." I said. "Liz went in her ball one time. Since then, it's an ornament on my Pokétch." She nodded and walked toward the back room.

"Um, we couldn't find any, cheese puffs." She said, stopping at the corner.

"That's alright." I said. "Just one of those, memory cravings." She smiled as she went around and I sat down with Liz sitting next to me, and clothing began rising and folding. "Liz…"

"I can't help it." She said quietly. "I'm used to picking up after a four year old teenager." The clothing was set in a bin on the floor, though it was more or less just enough for two outfits. A shirt, pants, some underwear, and a dress. I heard a sound and looked to see a young woman looking out from behind a door, so I stood up with Liz.

"Nene?" I asked. She smiled and walked out, so I walked around the table. "It's been too long." She slowly walked up, and hugged me. I was caught off guard, and Liz laughed quietly as I returned the gesture. "Apparently longer than I thought." She moved back.

"Sorry, I just…" She started.

"Saw family and figured, go for it." I finished. She laughed. "I understand." She smiled as Francisca walked over. "How have you been?" She slowly walked with me where I went to the couch while she took a chair, and Francisca levitated next to her.

"We've, been better." She said. "To be honest, I, work at, the contest hall, with Francisca. We're, security. It's a good job, but lately, I feel like this, new guy, is trying to get me fired. He's inviting people in without telling me or our boss, he's drinking on the job and trying to spill beer on me so he can say I was drunk, and… He doesn't even hide it. But, it's all, he said, she said. I can't get any evidence." I put my arms on my legs, putting my hands together in front of me. "And, that's not the worst part. He keeps, he keeps trying to convince people, I'm, a, a Poképhiliac." I raised my eyebrows.

"Oh my…" Liz said quietly.

"It's, just not fair." Francisca said. "He keeps saying that my, wearing a security uniform means she's, dressing me up because it arouses her. He doesn't have proof, but, a lot of the others are whispering about us."

"Well, I think this guy needs a little introduction to a lawyer." I said. Nene held her hands up, blushing.

"Oh, no, I just, want him to stop…" She said. "He won't listen to me, because, he, hates me… And he won't even say why. He just wants to get me fired…" She lowered her hands.

"What good would a lawyer do us, anyway?" Francisca asked.

"Well, defamation of character, attempting to have someone wrongfully terminated…" I said. "Those two alone, with the testimonies of your coworkers, would get _him_ fired, and you could get a restraining order fairly easily." Nene blushed again.

"I, think, talking to him would work, if it was someone else…" She said. "Especially, if he didn't know how the someone knew me?" I laughed.

"Well, I'm good at keeping secrets." I said. "There are three I keep, every day, that would get me into a lot of trouble." She seemed surprised. "The only problem is… Who is he?" She looked down.

"Clarence Digger." She said. "I, don't know where he lives, because, I don't want anything to do with him…" I lowered my hands and leaned back.

"Well, I have, wanted to enter a contest." Liz said. "It always sounded like a lot of fun, win or lose… So we could enter, and if we met him, Gene could talk to him."

"I'd, really appreciate it." She said. "I just, I really need this job. If he got the whole, Poképhiliac thing to stick, I'd, I'd lose Francisca… I'm sure that would kill me…"

"And me." Francisca said under her breath.

"So, where's Franky?" Liz asked after a few seconds. "You could bring her to work, and, that would quell the rumors quickly." Nene was silent, and I made a small connection in my head.

"Franky." I said. Francisca looked at me, and blushed deeply as Nene froze completely while I nodded. "I see. Francisca's derived nicknames can be either Francis, or Franky." Nene began shaking while Francisca's emotions became somewhat wild. Liz seemed to understand as she nodded.

"I never knew that." She said.

"Well, one way or another, you _do_ take Franky to work." I said. "So far, either no one made the connection, or you never talked about 'Franky' on the job, or no one knows she's Francisca."

"I, just, don't call her, Franky on the job." Nene said quietly. "Darn it…"

"It's my fault." Francisca said. "I, introduced myself, as Francisca… I should have just, not used a name."

"Y-you won't, tell anyone, w-will you?" Nene asked. I moved my arm and Liz moved closer to me, putting her hand on my leg.

"Few people think they know how close Liz and I are." I said. Nene put her hand to her mouth, and Francisca seemed just as surprised. "They're, technically right, because we are that close… But we're also, much closer."

"Oh, goodness…" Nene said.

"You, you're, mates." Francisca said.

"Four years." I said.

"Wow." Nene said. "I, I never, would have imagined, i-in a million years, that… H-how did you…"

"One night, I just, felt like, there was no one else that would be, like Gene." Liz said. "The next morning, I was taking a shower with him… A few days before, I, managed to get him close enough, and, I kissed him. I expected he'd release me, and I'd lose him forever… But he accepted, that I loved him, and, he loved me." She smiled as she lowered her head. "Then, we took the shower, and, he washed my back, I made him wash my breasts… And, my stomach… And lower." Nene blushed while Francisca smiled.

"Way to go." She said.

"Franky…" Nene said quietly.

"Well, we've never, done anything, in the shower." She said quietly. Liz giggled.

"Neither have we." I said, laughing quietly. "It started in the shower, and, it moved to the bed, of a very fancy hotel." They both blushed deeper.

"W-way to go." Nene said. We all laughed.

"That's one secret only certain people know." I said. "A few friends, and Nurse Joy's family."

"Wow, I, I wish, I had friends that, would be willing to accept, how we are." She said quietly. "But, at least, this stays in the family."

"Angel's going to be happy." Liz said. Nene went to speak when I raised my hand.

"Here's the bigger secret we keep." I said. "Angel, is our daughter."

"You, adopted?" Francisca asked.

"No…" Liz said, blushing. "I, gave birth to her… Normally, Pokémon lay eggs… But in a, Pokémon and human relationship, with a male human, and female Pokémon, like us… The female, has a live birth."

"That, is pretty scary." Francisca said. "But… That's, a good thing, right? I mean, the biggest argument against, relationships like ours, is that it's, unnatural. With the way things are going, w-we might, have a chance, at staying together."

"Well, it's not too far off these days." I said. "Petitions are in the works, people are arguing all the time, fighting it at all levels. Until they get rid of the laws, the only defense we have is hiding when we're in public, and being as quiet as possible in private." Francisca blushed while Nene laughed nervously.

"Well, that, that part, goes without saying." She said. "So many people, didn't have translators, until two years ago… We're, a little, less careful in, s-some, places." Liz giggled quietly as Francisca nudged her lightly.

"Nene…" She said.

"Well, adventure can really, spice things up." I said. They all laughed. "So, on a happier note, Angel will be by, and we'll let you know when so you can meet her." They smiled. "She'll be glad to know she has more than just her father as her, human, family… Speaking of family secrets… I have one I think I should share. Eighteen years, without talking… I want to share this." I slowly stood up and removed my hat, which I handed to Liz. I then removed my sunglasses and Nene gasped as she looked at me. Francisca just stared, open mouthed.  
…

I walked onto the stage as they announced me, and a piano began playing softly while Liz turned to me. I took her hand, setting my hand on her waist.

"This should be very interesting." The commentator said. "It's a well known fact that Mr. Alastor and his lovely Gardevoir, Liz, are very close to one another, almost like family. Wherever he is, she is close by, and I'm certain the reverse is true." We danced across the stage, with Liz closing her eyes. "This is truly a show of grace, but will he incorporate some of her attacks or moves, in any way?"

"I don't know, but it's safe to say they'll have points to spare." The second commentator said. "Just look at how perfectly synchronized they are. A slow waltz may look simple, but you have to know your partner, and just where _they_ will step, not just where _you_ will."

"And let's not forget that beautiful dress she's wearing." The woman said. "It's simply gorgeous, and if you look closely at the back, her gem fits through it perfectly, meaning it was tailor made just for her."

"I didn't know Gardevoir could even remove their dresses." The man said. "I think we'll be seeing many more Gardevoir changing their normally beautiful gowns for similar dresses, or perhaps different outfits altogether." Liz began levitating us, though it still felt like there was a hardwood floor under us as the tempo picked up by a tenth. "Oh, that's, completely amazing. She's lifting them into the air with Psychic, and they're still dancing, as if on solid ground."

"For all of you in the audience, remember, she can sense emotions." The woman said. "So keep your eyes on her face, or you might get psy-slapped." There was a bit of laughter as Liz opened her eyes, which were glowing softly, in her pupils. "And just as a point of interest, Mr. Alastor is single, ladies, so be careful of a jealous friend if you try to chase after him." I heard a few catcalls while Liz giggled. "Now, over to our judges, a panel of only one of our usual judges due to one having a mild bout of the flu and the other having severe delays, here is everyone's favorite healer, Nurse Joy." I heard a quiet laugh. "Nurse Joy, what do you think of their use of Psychic to levitate both trainer and Pokémon off of the floor to dance in the air? Or just the dance itself?"

"I think it's a wonderful display of trust between them." Joy said. "Gene trusts Liz not to lose focus, which would cause a very painful fall. As for the dance, I think it's not so much a play on that Gardevoir look like they dance, but the fact that they sometimes dance with their closest friends, family, or their mates. I would say it shows just how close they are as friends that she lets him dance, though, I believe she is leading." Liz smiled a little, just so I could see as we rose higher, rotating to dance on the ceiling. "Oh, my goodness, that's very impressive."

"And here is our second judge, Hearthome's very own protector…" The man said. "Officer Jenny. What are your thoughts about their dance?"

"Well, I don't know much about Gardevoir." She said. "But Liz does have a very lovely dress, and I'm just a little jealous of her. He's a very good looking man." Liz giggled again. "But I'm more into rap music, so I probably wouldn't be able to keep up with him for long. But for the use of Psychic to hold them on the ceiling without pushing too hard demonstrates considerable skill, and the amount of focus to dance while doing so is all the more impressive."

"That I'm not holding my head on your shoulder, is even more impressive." Liz whispered. I smiled.

"And our third judge, here because she heard Gene was here…" The female commentator said. "Eterna's grass Pokémon loving Gym Leader, Gardenia!" The crowd cheered as Liz steered us so we could look to see our friend. "Now, as we understand it, you are, in fact, a friend of both Gene and Liz, correct?"

"Yes, but I won't let it color my judgment." She said. "If they make a mistake, I won't overlook it."

"And what do you think of their choice of performance?" The woman asked. I winked and Liz used Double Team repeatedly to create copies of us dancing, and the crowd gasped and made sounds of awe. "Oh, Double Team, I never would have expected that."

"Same here…" Gardenia said. "Dancing was kind of a curious idea, and Psychic was interesting, but Double Team… It's, breathtaking."

"The amount of focus that Liz has is, amazing." Jenny said. "I can't believe she not only has them on the ceiling, going in a slow circle, but now she creates… Fourteen copies of them, at regular intervals, _precise_ intervals. _That_ is going to net some major points from all of us." As the song got near the end, she lowered us, rotating us, and the copies slowly faded, one by one as they got closer. When we touched the ground and the song ended, we moved apart and I bowed as she curtsied. The crowd clapped, and slowly rose.

"A simple start to an incredibly beautiful routine!" The male commentator said over the crowd. "I, for one, can't help but say that if I were a judge, they'd have my vote in _less_ than a heartbeat!" We turned and bowed to the crowd as they cheered.

"I love you Zero!" A woman called. I laughed quietly as we stood up, but I held my hand up to catch a rose between my index and middle fingers, and I held it up slightly. I saw a few women fall back, and I laughed.

"Well, Mr. Alastor, looks like you pass with all three judges!" The female commentator said. "Congratulations!" Liz caught a rose as well, holding it in front of her to smell it. "And that marks the conclusion of the second round! Go ahead and get a little rest in the back. You've earned it." We turned and walked until we saw a security guard matching the description of Clarence, and he stood from a wall.

"Heck of a show." He said. "Dancing, with a Pokémon. No one's ever been that bold. Some people might get the wrong idea." Liz moved a little closer. "You know? Some guy, might say you were, eh, ruttin' with her."

"Some people say a lot of things." I said, putting the rose in my pocket carefully. "Though, they would be wrong, Mr. Digger."

"So you know of me." He said. I gestured.

"You have a nametag…" I said. He blushed and looked at it. "It's not hard to see."

"W-well, regardless, I think you know what I'm getting at." He said, looking up. "With an, anonymous letter, you'd be a laughingstock, and you'd never see your Pokémon again." I laughed quietly.

"This old dance, is it?" I asked. "Well, Mr. Digger, I'm afraid you'll find that, should someone send such a letter, they'll be in for a battle they can't ever win. Turns out, being as well off as I am, I have considerable legal power, and a little prowess so I don't make mistakes when I'm working." He seemed surprised. "I have, three lawyers for every field of law, and I myself could easily pass any bar exam, and am thus capable enough to be my own counsel. To try to defame me, would be, to attack a Gyarados with only a ten foot hotdog to defend yourself." He was visibly unnerved. "But, hey, you're just saying, someone might try, if they saw this as more than it was." He nodded shakily. "You know, funny story. I'd heard about this girl, what was her name…"

"Nene." Liz said. "Wasn't it?" Clarence's eyes went wide.

"Yeah, that was it." I said. "She said someone, was spreading rumors about her and _her_ Gardevoir."

"H-how well, do you know her?" He asked after a few seconds.

"Oh, she's, a cousin." I said. "Haven't seen her in… Eighteen years, give or take…" I put my hand to my chin. "Can't, remember who she said was spreading those rumors though…" I snapped my fingers. "Mr. Digger." He jumped slightly. "Could you, perhaps find the person? She said he works here. You look, like a very capable man. No doubt your boss saw that in you." He nodded quickly. "If you find this guy, could you get him to, stop it. She's worried about her job, and, it means a lot to her. If she didn't have her job, she'd, just die, and, I know I can help her, but she doesn't want to bother me about money. She just, wants to make sure she has a home to stay in, so she can take care of her friend. You must know how that feels."

"Y-yeah…" He said. "I'll, I'll find this, jerk… Excuse me, I'm just, I can't believe, someone would do that. She's, such a sweet girl, that doesn't deserve this." We started walking and I put my arm around his shoulder.

"Good." I said. "I knew I could count on you. If you find him, do what you have to do to get him out of here. Understand?" He looked at me and I knew he understood, just by the way his eyes showed visible fear.

"Yeah, got it." He said shakily. "I'll, I'll get him, and he's, _so_ gone." He turned down a corner as we got to the locker room, where a few of the other trainers began clapping. Liz blushed as she put her hands together in front of her, smiling bashfully.


	14. An Unexpected Date

**Okay, this one has been done for a while, and I hope you all enjoy this. Finally, we see Liz and Gene in the final part of the contest. Although they only entered it to defend his cousin, it's still fair to say they're having a good time. I hope you all have a good time with this chapter, and I hope you all learn something new from it. If not, hey, I tried.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to Pokémon. Thank you, and have a nice day.  
…**

"Here we are in the final match, the final round!" The female commentator called. "And Liz is matching Richter perfectly!" Liz panted quietly as I surveyed the field, thinking. Our final opponent, a Mightyena, was surprisingly capable. He had type advantage, and he was using great moves. Spinning while trying to use Bite or Crunch, evading Liz's use of a scattered burst of Shadow Balls by jumping and turning to slip between them, he was proving to be a very worthy opponent.

"You're good, Mr. Alastor, but not good enough!" Richter's trainer called. A young woman named Sally, with long red hair and a low cut blue dress. She had goaded me into publicly promising her a date if I lost. Liz wouldn't be too happy if that were to happen. "Just so you know, I've always wanted to try five star cuisine!" Liz laughed quietly.

"She has a lot of energy." Liz said softly. "I, have a plan."

"Okay." I said quietly. "Just so you know, there's a Dig hole open, and he knows where it would end. Pull a quick duck in and when he turns, he'll be wide open for a few moments, at best." She nodded as Sally pointed.

"Get her with Quick Attack!" She called. Liz rushed forward, and I knew she was timing it as the dark hound vanished from his speed. She ducked aside and jumped to the opposite end of the hole, and he waited. "When she comes up, Iron Tail!" She had few points left, but as he looked down and circled the hole, Liz jumped out and teleported in, but he waved his tail just in time to dodge into the side, but he spun and hit Liz as she went to punch him. His speed was amazing, and he threw her across, right next to me. I knelt by her as she tried to get up, but she couldn't do it. I put my hand on her back, and she nodded.

"That, was all I had." She said quietly. "They're, good." I smiled, and raised my hand.

"Uh-oh, it looks like Zero Alastor is calling this one." The commentator said. "With thirty seconds to go and Liz unable to get to her feet, it looks like they're giving in!" The crowd was a mixture of cheers and jeers, but strangely, more of the latter. "Now, now, don't be that way. They gave it their all." Liz used Recover and I stood up, looking at Sally.

"Sally, you've got one heck of a fast friend." I called. "For a few seconds, I thought we had you." She laughed. "I'd say, you've earned that five star date." She threw a punch into the air as Richter howled happily. She ran onto the field and hugged him.

"Great job Richter." She said. "I knew you could do it." He wagged his tail as Liz stood up and looked at me, so I hugged her, patting her back and making her smile.

"You were great out there." I said. "You gave it your all." She stepped back as the crowd cheered, and Sally walked over.

"So, who picks up who?" She asked. I laughed quietly.

"Let's say, we meet in front of the park?" I suggested. "Eight sharp." She smiled.

"It's a date." She said.  
…

"I can't believe you're letting her do this." Francisca said.

"If I show jealousy, people might see it." Liz said. "Just, that hug, would probably have set off warning signs, if it weren't, that Gardevoir 'only dance with those they consider close friends, family, or mates'. He's, a close friend, as far as they know." Nene laughed as I walked out in my suit, and Liz stared. "Oh, _that_ suit."

"W-wow." Nene and Francisca said together. It was a suit I normally wore during court cases where I was asked as a witness, which, while rare, happened for certain technology.

"So, what's, special about that suit?" Nene asked.

"I wear this to court, on the odd occasion I have to be there." I said. "They ask about my funding, where it comes from, why I'm funding… Oh, whatever it was I was funding. Dream reading machines, older models of translators… Cloning machines."

"Cloning?" She asked.

"Some guys think, that prehistoric Pokémon, were wiped out too soon." I said. "So, I endorsed cloning machines. In that the DNA is degraded, it can be replicated, and eventually restored using multiple degraded sets to create proper DNA, which is then, placed into an egg within their 'group' that hasn't been fertilized… That, by the way, was the main reason that made it legal. It was a clone, but at the same time, more DNA was added that made them, not clones." Liz laughed. "I have to say, I'm glad I went to that trial. It was a circus event, but, it was fun."

"Well…" Nene said. "Uh, it's about time for your date." I ran my fingers through my hair.

"I, have no true experience, dating." I said. "This is going to be either very awkward, or I'm going to have to be careful…"

"Good thing you have that shirt." Liz said. "So, get going…" She slowly reached out to the Pokétch. "I know, I've never done it, but, I want to be close, just in case you need me. After all, I don't quite trust her having dinner with my _husband_." I nodded as I removed the ball and opened it.

"You'll be inches away from my hand, the whole time." I said. She nodded and I slowly made the ball grow.

"Good luck." She said quietly. I kissed her lips lightly and she stepped back. I raised the ball and recalled her, and when she was in, I put the ball on the Pokétch.

"You know, that ball, looks different, but, familiar." Nene said.

"My mother's." I said. "She had it reset, when her Gardevoir, passed. She gave this to me, told me to keep my best friend linked to it. Liz hasn't been inside since the day I caught her, over four years ago." I carefully put it on, and a small hologram hid it.

"You, never mentioned, camouflage." Francisca said.

"It's new." I said. "And, I should go. I'll be back soon." They nodded and smiled as I went to the door. Stepping out, I walked calmly toward the park. I was Sally already waiting, and I checked the time, nodding. 'Eight twenty. Hope she didn't wait long.' As I walked up, she smiled. "Good evening. I hope you weren't waiting too long."

"Two or three minutes." She said. "Totally worth it." She looked me over and I smiled a little. "So, where are we going?" I held my arm out.

"I made reservations." I said. She moved her arm through mine and we began walking. After a moment, I looked at her. "So, what made you decide to make that bet?"

"Well, you're the most eligible bachelor in the world, for one." She said. I laughed quietly. "And second, you are just, way too handsome. I'm surprised every battle against any girls, trainer or Gym Leader, hasn't tried this."

"Well, you're officially the first person to outright beat us." I said.

"Us?" She asked.

"Liz and me." I said. "We've had great luck thus far, beating every trainer or Gym Leader, but Richter was on a different level." She laughed.

"Well, he's been with me since he was a puppy." She said. "Twelve years now. It's like he's my brother."

"I could tell." I said warmly. "If there's one thing more obvious than his strength, it's the bond he shares with you."

"I hope you don't mind, I brought his ball with me." She said. "I don't know what I'd do without him nearby… Did you bring Liz?"

"Yes, but, it's honestly the first time in four years she's been in the ball." I said. "So far, it's just been the few seconds it took to make sure no one else could take her." She laughed.

"Well, Richter said she did great, and that he wanted to talk to her…" She said. "Maybe after dinner we can go sit on a bench and let them talk?"

"Sounds good to me, and I know Liz would be happy." I said. "In fact, I can ask the host if it would be alright if they joined us for dinner."

"I think Richter would like that." She said. "I was going to ask for some takeaway for him later."

"Then we'll them out…" I said. "Though Liz might have to float his food for him." We got to the door and she grabbed the ball from her side as I took Liz's from my Pokétch.

"Wow, good hiding spot." She said. I nodded as we enlarged them and summoned them. Liz looked at Sally and then at me. She still had her Contest dress on. "How would you two like to join us for dinner?" Richter wagged his tail.

"I'd like that." He said. "I'll keep the tail under control." Liz nodded.

"It has been a while since we've had a fancy dinner." She said. They turned and walked with us.  
…

They laughed as I held my hand up. I was telling a story about a man I'd met in the research department a few years before I met Liz, showing me a few things with just about nothing working right.

"So, all said there, he grabs the dart gun and gestures, talking about it…" I said, fighting a laugh. "And it goes off. We watch it as it hits my bodyguard, and he looks at the guy and says 'that, was a lucky, shot', and falls over." The girls covered their mouths as Richter shook his head. "He was okay, but after that I told them just to hold back… I ended up having to let them go a few days later, but they just wanted the money, and protecting me was just for that. If you can't have a friend in your bodyguard, might as well trust yourself." Sally drank some of her wine as I drank my Oran juice.

"Well, it's for the best." Liz said. "And now, you have me and our friends."

"Yeah, that's always a plus." Sally said. "Richter, once scared off five Team Rocket jerks with one howl. They just took one look at him, and…" She whistled. "Right around and _right_ into the police." I smiled. "Ever run into those idiots?"

"A few times." I said. "Ended up sending them away." I gestured to Liz. "As a Kirlia, she had a _mean_ Shadow Ball. Blasted these two, and a talking Meowth, right into a mine car, and the force shook the lever loose. They roll down the hill and… I saw them a while later."

"Wait, a talking Meowth." She said.

"Yeah." I said. "He learned to speak like a human, I guess, and he walked on his hind legs. It was, strange, but kind of cool." I laughed. "Second time we met them, Gardenia was visiting Kanto's Gym Leaders, and we ran into them. They had this, introduction, that was obviously _very_ practiced. When they were done, it was all we could do to not laugh. So, I clapped, and Liz was on my shoulders, so she clapped… And then we sent them packing not long after…" I pointed at Liz. "As a Kirlia, again, that Shadow Ball sent them flying, probably a mile and a half." Liz blushed.

"Well, I put more into that than usual." She said. "I thought I'd blast them into the river… Not, into the next region."

"You sure knocked me for a loop." Richter said. "That Fire Punch… My side is still sore from it." She smirked.

"My shoulder's sore, from that Iron Tail." She said, playfully slugging him. They laughed as Sally sighed.

"I like Dark type Pokémon, but, major props, Liz." She said. "No Psychic Pokémon has _ever_ managed to hold Richter back so easily, with just a _Shadow Ball_." Liz blushed and looked at her plate.

"Well, four years of dedicated training…" She said quietly. "We wanted to make the League this year."

"What happened with that?" Sally asked. "Why did you leave?"

"Issues." I said tiredly. "Way too many. Company problems, stress levels going up… I'll head back to Kanto, but for now, I think Sinnoh is the best place to start the league again." She nodded.

"I tried the league a few years back." She said. "We did great, but, we got to the quarterfinals, and a guy, with this, Dragonite… Took us down, hard."

"Dragons…" I said. "If you don't have one or some kind of Ice type move, you're in for a tough fight." She nodded.

"So uh, Liz, where _did_ you get that dress?" She asked. "It's, amazing."

"We met a very famous fashion designer in Kanto, in Fuchsia City." Liz said. "I saw one in a magazine, after Gene got the prototype translators, and in Fuchsia, he called and, the designer was just a few floors below us in the hotel." Sally laughed. "He made this dress, and a few others, and a suit for Gene… I was so embarrassed when he let me try on, just one he had at the time."

"Why would you be embarrassed?" Sally asked. "You're lovely." Liz blushed, but laughed quietly.

"Well, did _you_ know that Gardevoir can, remove their gowns?" She asked. They both laughed. "Normally, a Gardevoir wouldn't do so, because we can clean it with our powers. But, having a nice dress is, always welcome."

"It must have been expensive…" Sally started. "Then again, when Zero is involved…" I laughed quietly.

"Well, I have enough to get by." I said. They all laughed as I finished my steak.

"You know, you're the perfect man." She said. "You're strong, smart, handsome, you've got a great sense of humor, and, you're just a great guy." I smiled.

"I agree." Liz said. "If he were a Gallade, I wouldn't have to take even one second to think about asking him to be my mate." Sally laughed quietly.

"Well, you've got a great friend." She said.

"As do I." I said. I raised my glass. "To great friends." They raised their glasses.

"To great friends." They said. I finished the juice as she finished her wine.

"Well, that looks like all we can handle…" Sally said. "Any more, and I don't know if I'll be able to get to the Pokémon Center to go to sleep." I sighed and nodded.

"I wholeheartedly agree." I said. "Though, I am staying at a friend's house." She laughed as I held my hand up as the waiter looked over, and he walked up to us.

"Will that be all, sir?" He asked. I nodded and he set the digital check out, and I slid a card down, signing carefully. As he looked at it, he had the usual questioning look.

"Thank you." I said. He nodded after a moment and walked away.

"What was that look?" Sally asked.

"I gave him a tip, three times the bill." I said. She laughed as I got up and walked around, pulling her and Liz's chairs out slightly. They stood up as Richter stepped onto the floor and pushed his chair in with his head. "I think, we have a little time before we should call it a night. If you're not too tired."

"So long as we don't have to walk too far." She said. We walked up to the front and outside. As we got near the park, she sat on a bench, so I sat near her while Liz sat by me, with Richter setting his head on his paws. "It's a beautiful night."

"It truly is." I said, looking up. "Hard to believe you can get this kind of look at the stars in a city." She was quiet for a moment.

"Sorry, about dragging you on this date." She said. I looked at her. "I uh, just did this to, appease my parents. They keep telling me to date, and, I just don't want to, date…" I nodded as I looked out at the park. "You don't, hate me for this, do you?"

"No." I said. "I understand. Parents have, some high expectations." She nodded.

"Yeah, they do." She said. "Z… Gene, I uh, I, would rather have, dated, Nurse Joy, or Officer Jenny…" I looked at her. "Sorry." I put my hand on her shoulder and playfully pushed, making her laugh quietly.

"Hey, no apologies." I said. "We had fun tonight, right?" She nodded. "Liz, Richter, did you both have a good time?" They nodded. "See, we all had a good time." I looked at her. "So, it wasn't a date. It was, two people, getting to know one another, sharing stories and having dinner. Friend stuff." She laughed and nodded as I put my arm on the bench. "That we included our best friends made the night that much more fun." She smiled as Liz giggled.

"Your secret is safe with us." She said.

"Thanks." Sally said. "Uh, speaking of secrets… Are your eyes, secrets?" I laughed quietly.

"Ever hear of ocular tattoos?" I asked. She shook her head. "Usually it's just ink to color the sclera, the whites of the eyes, but I found a guy that found a guy, that could totally recolor the iris." I raised my sunglasses and she laughed. "Yeah, just my luck, I had gotten it in my head that I could use a few drinks, and, voila. I asked him for just one eye to be red instead of both. I'm not ashamed of it, but it attracts attention." She smiled as I lowered the sunglasses. "Besides that, I look better with my shades."  
…

I settled onto the air mattress while Liz put her dress in the bag, shrinking it down with a button so she could put it in the case. I watched as she walked over and I held my hand up. She took my hand and I helped her down beside me, and the blanket floated over us. She sighed quietly.

"I'm glad, that wasn't a real date." She said. I rubbed her arm lightly.

"Me too." I said. "I would have felt bad for a long time."

"And, now?" She asked.

"I'm glad to have new friends." I said simply. She laughed quietly and moved closer. "I hope her parents can accept her choice." She moved a little. "Something wrong?"

"Would, your parents, have accepted us?" She asked quietly. I thought for a moment.

"I'm, not sure." I said. "My mother, maybe… My dad, I don't know. They'd keep it quiet though, to keep us safe. I'm sure of that much."

"I wish, I could have met them." She said. "From how you talk about your mother… I'm sure we would have gotten along." I smiled.

"I know you would have." I said, kissing her forehead. "Mother would have loved you. She'd look right at you, and she'd know… She always knew _everything_, if it involved me even just a little."

"And, you know, she wouldn't be worried?" She asked.

"Well, maybe for a few moments." I said. "But, I think, she'd have said 'welcome to the family'." She smiled. "And dad… He'd know from that, and I'd get, I don't know how many talks…" I put my hand to my forehead. "You know, Angel's body is developed enough, according to Nurse Joy." She laughed, but stopped.

"You, don't think she'd…" She said quietly.

"I, think she might need, the talk." I said. "And, seeing as I had to give it to you…"

"Oh no, I'm giving our daughter, the talk." She said. I looked at her and touched her cheek.

"I was going to suggest that." I said quietly. She blushed. "A mother giving the talk to their daughter is like a father and son… As I understand it, at least." She smiled and I moved my hand to hers. "So, I'll talk to Johnny and make sure he knows to keep an eye out for boys that give her a look like I do when I'm watching you."


	15. Meeting Our Family

**Chapter fifteen, I hope you all enjoy. This is a chapter from Angel's point of view, so this should show another side of Gene's personality, but also what Angel deals with on a normal day. It's more lighthearted than usual, or so I think. But still, I hope you all enjoy this.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to Pokémon. Thank you.  
…**

I settled against the warmth in my bed, smiling slightly. But after a few seconds, I realized I was in the hotel room, and realizing who it was made me move back quickly, and I fell out of the bed with a yelp. He moved quickly and I groaned under the blanket.

"Dang it." I said quietly. "Johnny, when did you get in the bed?"

"I, don't remember…" He said. He offered my shirt, and I took it. It had been warmer that night because the thermostat was malfunctioning, so he slept on the couch while I slept naked in the bedroom. "Sorry."

"You've got your, thing on, right?" I asked.

"Yes, of…" He started.

"Tell me I wasn't just spooning a naked Gallade." I said. "Just tell me that."

"Sorry." He said quietly. I pulled the shirt on and reached up.

"Pants." I said. He slowly held my panties out, so I took those and tossed them. "Pants. It's too hot." He handed me my pants and I slipped into them and did them up, but didn't move. "Johnny."

"Yes?" He asked.

"Go put your stuff on." I said. "I'm not exactly happy with the idea of seeing my best friend's, you know…" I heard him get up. "Teleport." He laughed and I heard him teleport, but when I got up and turned, I covered my eyes. "Johnny! Why is the divider door open?!" It shut quickly as I blushed, but I felt his embarrassment as well as my own. "Oh, Arceus, this is not how I wanted my morning to go! I wake up, spooning my best friend, we're both naked, and now, I saw your…" I shuddered.

"I'm sorry." He said. "I didn't mean for it to happen. I don't even remember removing…"

"Let's just pretend this never happened." I said. "Ugh, I never thought I'd see that, dude." He laughed. "Tell me you didn't see me. If you did, I'm going to kill you." We both laughed after a moment, but I stopped. "I'm serious."

"I didn't see anything." He said. "But why were your panties on the headboard?" I used my psychic power to open my door and throw said panties into his face. He laughed as I walked to the bathroom.

"I'm going to take a shower and get this image out of my head." I said. A ball opened and I looked to see Harmony stretching. "Morning."

"Morning…" She said with a content groan. "What happened? I heard you both…"

"Ugh, Johnny teleported into my bed last night, naked." I said. "And I was, naked because it was so warm last night." She giggled and looked at Johnny.

"Too bad I wasn't awake." She said. "I'm always naked." I was silent as Johnny's embarrassment got stronger.

"Okay, Johnny, get your head out of the gutter." I said as I walked into the bathroom.

"Sorry, the number you have dialed is temporarily not in service." He said. I closed the door as Harmony giggled.

"If you two are gonna start doing what my parents do, I'm teleporting to the lobby." I said. They both laughed as I turned the shower on, but my phone rang. I opened the door and caught it as it flew to me, and I closed the door again, locking it. I checked to see that it was dad, so I opened it. "Hey."

"Good morning." He said. "Good news, my cousin would very much like to meet you, as does her Gardevoir." I was silent for a moment.

"You're kidding." I said. "She has a Gardevoir."

"She has a Gardevoir." He repeated. "Her names Francisca, and she's very friendly. She and Liz are getting along like sisters already." I laughed quietly. "How did your walk go?" I shrugged.

"Okay, and the Gym battle was perfect." I said. "Gardenia was really a tough battle, but I won. What about you?"

"Well, I entered a contest, and made it to the final round." He said. "A girl named Sally and her Mightyena beat me, so I had to take her out to dinner. Long story short, for that, we made a new friend, had a nice dinner, and I lost the first contest, but we had a lot of fun." We both laughed. "I'll take the Gym on today, and then I'll pick you up?"

"Sure." I said. "Sounds like fun…"

"And, your mother called." He said. I fought a laugh. "She has a talk to give you later. Why you don't give her the cell phone number is beyond me." I giggled.

"Because it's more fun making you take my calls." I said. He laughed quietly.

"I'll pick you up around noon." He said. "I'll see you then."

"See you." I said. "Bye."

"Au revoir, miel." He said. I closed the phone and sighed quietly.

"Why are dads so weird?" I asked my reflection. I put the phone in a drawer and removed my clothes, but I looked at the gem in my chest. As I looked at it, I touched it lightly, smiling. 'I'm one of the luckiest girls in the world.' I sighed and got into the shower and felt the water with my foot, nodding. "Perfect." I closed the door and turned on the showerhead, and I sighed softly as the water began cascading through my hair. I grabbed the soap and began cleaning the sweat off of my body, being mindful of my joints and paying them a little extra care. 'Noon…' I hadn't even seen a clock yet, so I didn't know what time it was. 'I hope it's not _too_ close…' I grabbed the shampoo and went to work on my scalp, and I let out a content sigh.

"Angel, was that Gene?" Harmony asked.

"Yeah, he said he'll bring us to Hearthome a little after noon." I said. "Why?"

"Well, it's nine o' clock right now." She said. "We should get breakfast."

"After my shower." I said. "But if you and Johnny want to go down early, save me some scrambled eggs." She giggled.

"Okay." She said. "See you downstairs." I cleaned my hair thoroughly, but stopped as I began thinking.

'I wonder what mom wants to talk to me about…' I thought. 'I hope it's nothing serious… I'm being careful, and I wear my vest everywhere…' I shrugged as I finished washing myself and turned off the water. I stepped out of the shower, making the water stay in the air, leaving a little in my hair, and I cracked the door a little, just enough to get my backpack. 'Good thing dad taught me how to sweep for bugs and cameras, and gave me that cool jamming device…'  
…

I sighed as I leaned back against the trunk of the tree. Gardenia was training her Turtwig while Harmony and Johnny played with Penny, who was trying to bite his elbow blade. He kept trying to get away, but Penny was surprisingly fast. As I watched, I felt tired, but just as I began to fall asleep, Penny jumped on my lap, surprising me. I laughed as she looked at me, so I began petting her head.

"Hey, I was just about to take a nap." I said. She settled down onto my lap and curled up.

"Yeah, sounds good." She said. The others laughed as Gardenia walked over.

"Looks like you two are getting along nicely." She said. "Just like Gene. You're all great friends." I nodded as I pet Penny as she started snoring, making me laugh.

"Geeze, my dad doesn't fall asleep that fast." I said.

"Who is your dad?" She asked. "I'm surprised he waited until you were sixteen to let you go on a Pokémon journey."

"He's, just a guy that works for Silph." I said. "He's a product tester when he has the time." She sat down while Johnny and Harmony began playing with Gardenia's Turtwig. Oddly enough, he was also trying to bite Johnny's elbow blades. "Great guy."

"What's his name?" She asked.

"Casper." I said. She laughed. "I'm serious. His name's Casper." She smiled as I leaned back, still petting Penny's head. "I have the strangest father in the world… And I'm okay with that. He's still a great guy, easy to get along with… Never punishes me to any serious extent… It's like he negotiates with me to make me calm down and act, better. I break something by bumping into it, like a piece of pottery, he doesn't get remotely irritated. He just walks over, and makes sure I'm okay before hugging me. He always says 'things can be replaced, but my daughter is one of a kind, and there will never be another just like her'." She smiled a little more. "Mom bought him a 'world's greatest dad' mug… It's the most accurate mug in the world."

"Good to hear he's a good man." She said. "What about your mother?"

"A great woman." I said. I smiled a little. "You'd never guess her name in a hundred years." She laughed.

"Angel?" She asked. I shook my head and she seemed in thought.

"She's about as nice to me as my dad, and knows how to teach me from my mistakes." I said. "Instead of punishing me, she makes sure I'm okay, and teaches me my mistake, so I won't do it again. Between her and dad, I learn fast so I'm more careful, and I know that they love me and worry about me." I leaned slightly toward her. "Though, sometimes they worry too much." She laughed.

"That's what parents are for." She said. "It doesn't matter how old you are. You're always your father's little girl, the light of his life, and you'll always be your mother's little baby." I smiled and leaned back again. "And someday, you might have a daughter of your own, and you'll know exactly why your parents were so protective."

"I hope so." I said. Johnny let out a yelp and I looked over as Harmony giggled, and he blushed.

"Uh, w-wh, uh, she uh…" He stuttered. Harmony smiled as I looked at them.

"What did, she do?" Gardenia asked. He cleared his throat but Harmony moved her hand behind him, and he teleported, and I heard a thud behind me, so I looked to see him in a bush. "Harmony?"

"What?" She asked innocently. "I can't give a friendly squeeze?"

"A little warning would be appreciated." Johnny said from the bush. Harmony giggled and walked over, sitting with her legs out to her left before leaning her head on my shoulder.

"I can't wait to meet Mr. Alastor's cousin." She said. I looked at her. She was sometimes a little 'too' friendly, sitting too close, hugging us from behind with her hands in awkward places, and now grabbing Johnny's butt. I had to wonder exactly what I'd gotten into in bringing her along. "She sounds nice."

"I didn't even know he had family." Gardenia said. "I'd heard he was the last of his bloodline."

"On his father's side." I said, looking at her. "His father's side of the family is down to him, as far as anyone can tell, though there might be a few out there that don't know they're part of the family." She nodded. "His _mother's_ side, however, is alive and well, and apparently constantly looking for money." She sighed.

"The whole side?" She asked. I nodded.

"From what I understand." I said. My watch beeped and I looked at it. "Looks like it's time already. Wow." A familiar sound echoed briefly and Penny stood up and looked around as Harmony sighed softly, and I looked to see that she was about asleep. "Harmony, Gene's here." She slowly sat up and stretched, lightly touching my arm. "But, where is he?" We all got up, though I carried Penny. "Johnny?" He was silent, so I looked around. "Okay boys, what's going on here? Some kind of joke?"

"Who's joking?" Dad asked. I jumped slightly, and Penny flew up, landing on my head.

"Geeze, Gene!" I said quickly. I turned, just in time for him to vanish, so I looked around before Harmony suddenly latched onto me, pressing her face against my breasts and making me lock up. "Harmony!" Dad and Johnny laughed, as did Gardenia, and I tried to move until dad walked over.

"Okay, that's friendly enough." He said. She slowly moved away, and as Johnny walked over, she grabbed his arm. "Sorry." I stared at him and he held up his hands as my eyebrow twitched.

"Penny, Bite." I said. She jumped from my head and he held up his arm just in time for her to latch on playfully. He laughed and moved before holding her. "So, right on time…"

"Yeah, I try." He said. "Looks like you were all having…" Johnny yelped again.

"Okay, Harmony, enough with the butt pinching for one day." He said. I fought a laugh, but as I looked, he jumped again as she rubbed up against him. "Did we catch you at a particular season?"

"No." She said. "I just like you. This is how I treat my friends."

"Well, just be careful around me." Dad said. "A lot of ladies might get a little jealous." We all laughed. "So, Gardenia, would you like to join us?"

"I wish I could." She said. "Maybe for the league."

"I'll teleport you over." He said. She laughed.

"I'll hold you to it." She said.

"Maybe I will, just to hold him…" Harmony said. We all laughed as dad gestured, and we all walked up to him, and Penny jumped into my arms. "Bye, Gardenia."

"See you guys later." She said. "Don't be strangers." We waved just before dad teleported us, and I was immediately hugged by my mother, and someone else. I was surprised, and saw two Gardevoir, though it was obvious which was my mother, even if my eyes had been closed. She was much taller than a normal Gardevoir, and her voice was just a little softer.

"Angel, it's so good to see you again." She said happily. I laughed, and gave them both a psychic 'hug'. After they let go, dad rubbed my hair, making me swat at him, and Penny jumped onto his head, making him stagger as I turned to the Gardevoir in a different dress.

"Francisca, I presume?" I asked. She bowed.

"Yes, but please, call my Frankie." She said.

"And I am Nene." A woman said. I looked as she walked over to Frankie, who took her hand in a familiar way. "I'm your father's cousin."

"Wow…" I said. "Uh, hi. Sorry…" I fixed my hair.

"Don't worry, we're all family here." Dad said. He put his jacket on a coat rack, along with his hat, and he put his sunglasses in his shirt pocket. "Appearances don't matter."

"Uh, dad, the thing is…" I started. Harmony giggled.

"Wow, red and blue eyes." She said. "Cool."

"I didn't tell Harmony a lot of things about our secrets…" I said. "Or, Penny." Penny tapped my foot, so I leaned down to pick her up, but someone pinched my butt, making me teleport with her over by dad, upside down. I landed on my back, groaning. "Harmony, seriously, enough with the butt pinching!" Everyone laughed. "Honestly, friendly is nice and all, but there's a line!" Dad reached back and helped me up, and I rubbed my butt as Penny got comfortable in my free arm.

"So, Nene and Frankie are mates?" Harmony asked.

"We are." Nene said quietly.

"And, Gene and Liz are mates, and, Angel's parents." Harmony said, pointing at them, and me.

"That's about the size of it." Johnny said.

"And, you're…" She started.

"My friend." I said firmly. "My friend who accidentally teleported into my bed, naked."

"I said I was sorry." Johnny said. "I was asleep on the couch, and the next thing I know, I wake up to you falling out of bed, stealing the blanket in the process." Dad stared at him for a moment, and he quickly held his hands up. "Hand to Arceus! I was asleep on the couch, and then I wake up when Angel let out a yelp. It scared the heck out of me."

"You didn't see anything, did you?" Dad asked. Johnny shook his head as I blushed.

"I didn't." He said. "I gave her some clothes, but…"

"Angel, you weren't, naked, were you?" Mom asked, somewhat worriedly.

"W-well, it was hot last night…" I said. "The thermostat was messed up and they weren't gonna fix it until tomorrow…" I looked away.

"Angel…" Dad said.

"Yeah, I saw Johnny…" I said.

"Me too." Harmony said, giggling.

"He teleported to the main part of the room, the divider was open…" I said. "The most _embarrassing_ thing that's ever happened to us…"

"Not me." Harmony said. I held Penny up.

"Penny, Growl." I said. Penny growled at Harmony, who giggled while the others laughed. I set Penny on the chair dad sat on, and she moved onto his shoulder, where he began scratching her chin.

"Well, just be careful in the future." Mom said. "You shouldn't see any boys naked unless you decide to be their mate, and while I like Johnny, you're both just a little young for _thinking_ about that." I groaned.

"_Mo-om_." I said. "Really? Now?" Dad laughed.

"On that note." He said. "Johnny, you and I need to have a talk in private."

"Harmony, would you like to play with Gene's friends outside?" Nene asked. "Melody might enjoy playing with a Lopunny." Dad stood up and Penny jumped into Nene's arms, making her jump slightly.

"Maybe I can tell her what to expect when she evolves." Harmony said thoughtfully. They walked out as dad put his arm around Johnny's shoulder.

"You know, Johnny, you've been a good friend to us all for a while now." He said. "You're almost like a son to us… Not too much like one, but enough that I think it's time I tell you about something." They walked out of the room as mom stood up.

"Angel, you know I wanted to talk to you about something." She said. Dad closed the door.

"Mom, you're not going to give me the Pidgey and the Beedrills talk…" I said.

"I probably should, especially after you saw Johnny." She said.

"I know about it mom." I said. "I read it in a few biology files. Don't worry, Johnny and I aren't about to, do it. He's a great friend, but, I mean, you know what he's like. He's fun, and he makes me laugh, and we get along, but I don't think he's the boy I'm gonna fall in love with… I mean… I don't know."

"That's what I thought about your father." She said. "I thought, it was all for fun, just the two of us making new friends, battling Gym Leaders and earning badges to go to the League… When I was a Kirlia, we were at a hotel, and we took a bath together. It was innocent, and we were just getting clean. I wanted him to wash my back." I giggled into my hand. "He was nervous, I was playing with him. I didn't even bother taking my little skirt off… But then, I became a Gardevoir, and I wanted to take a bath. I guess I was still a little young at heart, but he said no, so I started the shower. He still said no, and… I, accidentally aroused him."

"Uh, mom, I _really_ don't want to imagine that right now." I said. She laughed. "Or _ever_, for that matter."

"Well, anyway, the next time I asked to shower with him…" She said. "I just, stepped in after him, and made him wash my back again. He was nervous, I was having fun, and he was so embarrassed… I waited for the water to get cold, and then I let it hit him. We laughed while he sidestepped to get to the valves…" She blushed a little. "Then, the next time, we were mates, as far as either of us cared… We hadn't, made love yet, but we were deeply in love. He stepped into the shower behind me, teased me a little, and… We became mates after we got out of the shower." I blushed as I sat on the chair. "Neither of us intended to step out of that shower only to go to the bed and make love… I fell in love with him because he had been so nice to me, and he still is… One morning, I promised myself that, even if he couldn't love me as I loved him, at least, I could have some fun with him and, maybe… See him naked once in a while." I laughed quietly as she sat down. "Your father has some muscle on him, you know. Almost Machoke muscles, around the chest and abs…" She seemed in thought, and I waved my hand.

"Mom, two things." I said. "I've never seen a Machoke, and I'm not going to imagine _my father_ without his shirt." She laughed.

"Well, he's handsome, I'll say that…" She said. "And I'll say that while I loved him for being the man he was… Some nights, I'd have dreams, which I'll keep to myself." We laughed. "Oh, the way your father was, I couldn't stop myself from falling for him. He was nice to everyone, and he would always make sure he would try to help anyone he could, just because he could. I love your father very much, and I have for a long time, because of who he is. I didn't know I would fall for him, and I know he didn't know he'd fall for me, until we fought Sabrina and I exhausted myself. But I loved him, and he fell in love with me, before he could understand a single word I said. Sometimes, I'd actually tell him… I'd say 'I love you Gene, you wonderful human', and I'd laugh, because he had _no idea_ about it…" She sighed. "Arceus, that man just makes my heart _dance_…"


	16. One Lively Day

**It's hard to say when I'll update, but I'm always happy to. I hope you like this one, so here we go.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to Pokémon. Thank you, and have a nice day.  
…**

I tilted the cup to get the last of the juice, and after finishing it, I sighed quietly as I watched the sunrise. Liz was resting up against me, and we were just, in the moment. After a few minutes, I rubbed her arm and she moved a little.

"So, next up is…" She said softly. "Solaceon, and then Veilstone."

"We might keep going through Solaceon." I said. "It's nice town, but no gym, and if there's not much we can find, then I'd prefer to keep going, maybe camp out." She nodded after a moment. "We'll have to come back now and then to visit Nene, make sure she's not having trouble with anyone." She laughed quietly after a moment.

"You were pretty strong to stand up for her the way you did." She said. "I doubt that terrible man will ever bother anyone again." I sighed quietly as a flock of bird Pokémon began flying into the morning sky. "So, how did the talk with Johnny go?"

"I gave him the talk, told him to be careful with Angel, and to be more aware of his abilities." I said. "It's hard to say _why_ he teleported into Angel's bed without his clothes, but, it wasn't likely a true accident." She nodded. "But after that, I told him if he and Angel did start something, they'd better be careful, or I'd have to give him the other talk."

"What talk is that?" She asked, looking up at me.

"You see, when a man becomes the father to a daughter, he becomes, protective of her." I said. She laughed quietly at my tone. "And when she discovers boys, it becomes his mission to make sure she finds a boy she loves, whom the father at least _likes_. I like Johnny. He's like a son. But if he does anything that would break her heart, I'd remind him whenever he got close to the line. If he crosses it, I'll grab his shoulder with my fist ready for an Ice Punch." She laughed a little more. "But let's hope it doesn't come to that for at least a few more years." I sighed. "If it does, my hair will turn gray. And I'm just not ready for that." She put her hand on my chest as she moved a little closer.

"I don't know, I think you'd look distinguished." She said. I smiled and just held her when I heard a sound. We looked to see Melody walking out slowly, and after a moment, she bumped into my side, and I helped her from falling over. "Long night, Melody?" She looked up at me, stretching.

"A little…" She said, yawning. "Are we going?"

"As soon as we're all ready." I said. "I'm glad you all had fun." She giggled sleepily so I rubbed her head, making her go from sleepy giggles to a full laugh. When I stopped, she sat down on the chair and she looked up. "Did Max have fun?" She nodded.

"Yeah, he's really funny." She said. "H-he's really fast t-t-too." She pointed at the window. "U-uses Quick At-Attack to keep up, and he almost got me, b-but he made sure he didn't h-hurt us. J-j-just touched my shoulder." I crossed my arms with a quiet laugh as I shook my head.

"Friendly to anyone but me." I said quietly. "Some day, I will find a way to befriend that little pup." There was a sudden knock at the door, so I got up while Liz teleported my coat on, and Melody giggled as I walked toward it, looking out. I turned slightly, my sunglasses flying over for me to catch as I lowered my voice to a whisper. "Code yellow."

"Code, what?" Liz asked quietly.

"Marie." I said quietly. She laughed quietly as Marie knocked again.

"I'll get the others." She said. She picked Melody up and started walking as I turned and put my sunglasses on before opening the door.

"Oh, you really are here." Marie said cheerfully. "I was hoping the rumors were right." She pointed a finger at me. She was wearing a light pink sundress and a wide sunhat with flowers around it, and I saw Lancelot behind her, looking at the backyard, and from his emotions, either Liz or Frankie. "I'm sorry I missed your performance the other night."

"Oh, it was nothing special." I said, leaning on the door frame. "My cousin Nene was having trouble with a guy throwing accusations around, you know? I entered mostly to take care of that guy, but, it was surprisingly fun."

"Yeah, I, heard you were, dancing?" She asked. "With, your Gardevoir?"

"Yes, and the crowd seemed to really enjoy it." I said. "Good score from the judges, and to be honest, it was pretty good for having not practiced in a few months."

"You, dance with her, often?" She asked. I nodded.

"Gardevoir do enjoy dancing." I said, looking toward the side yard as Liz chased Max. She had a smile on her face as Melody ran along behind her with Drake, who floated along behind them enveloped in a psychic energy field. "I learned from a few good teachers, and you never really forget. You just get a little rusty at it."

"Um, may I come in?" She asked.

"Actually, we're getting ready to head out." I said. "I've got more gyms to visit, but we're slowing down a little to take in the scenic route, enjoy everything Sinnoh has to enjoy." She seemed surprised as my backpack floated over and I put it on.

"Then I guess I should challenge you now." She said.

"Gene, who is it?" Nene asked. I held a finger up and turned.

"It's Miss Marie, the young woman I told you about." I said. "She's challenging me again." She walked out while buttoning up her security uniform.

"Well, I've got some time before my shift." She said. "Mind if I watch with Frankie?"

"Frankie…" Marie asked.

"Oh, I'm Nene, Gene's cousin." She said, offering a hand. Marie slowly took it. "Frankie is my Gardevoir. She, looks a little different, but it's just because she prefers a cocktail dress or her security uniform." She pointed toward the yard. "We, work security up at the, Contest and Concert Hall. I asked Gene to help with someone, and he entered the Contest so he could… He, did a great service, if you ask me. IA would have taken months and that man would have spread terrible rumors about me, just to get back at me for it." Marie looked over and then back. "You would have enjoyed watching Gene and Liz dancing, it was beautiful, the way she used Psychic to raise them both into the air while they waltzed." She laughed quietly. "I kind of wonder if Frankie could do that to help me learn."

"W-well, um, darn, I wish I'd have been faster." Marie said. "If, you want to watch, I guess that'd be okay." We stepped out and Liz walked over with Max, tickling his belly and rubbing her nose against his while he squirmed and laughed. "Oh, there's that cute little…" Max suddenly barked, surprising all of us as he squirmed and suddenly jumped, landing on my shoulder and making me stagger while I reached up. "Oh, goodness, what's gotten into him?" I moved a little and he growled, so I moved my hands.

"Max, calm down." I said. "You can watch. Just let us show you how this goes."

"Actually…" Nene said. "C-can I, handle this one?" We looked at her. "Frankie and I don't do a lot of battling, mostly because, you know how strong Psychic types are. No one messes with a Psychic security guard because, hard to hit, hard to keep down, and you can't really block something you can't touch."

"Very true." Liz said.

"What, did, um, Liz say?" Marie asked. I laughed and pulled out a pair of translators.

"Put these on." I said. "You can talk to Lancelot, Liz, and Frankie, and Max." He moved and dropped down, but I caught him. "Hey, this is Frankie's dance." He squirmed.

"Dad, jerk." He said. "Fight."

"We've got plenty of those ahead of us." I said. "Don't you want to see your Aunt Frankie in action?" He slowed down so I moved to hold him and he growled quietly before shifting and jumping into Liz's arms, making us all laugh. "I just don't know why he doesn't like me."

"Frankie…" Nene called. "Oh, there you are. Goodness, you sure know how to surprise me."

"W-wow, a, Gardevoir, in a security jacket, and denim skirt." Marie said. "Um, Lancelot?"

"Ready." He said. She put the translators on and we walked out to the back as a group, where I sat down on a stump with Liz on my leg, carefully, holding Max so he could see while Melody climbed onto my free leg and my shoulder, and before I could say anything, Liz put Max on my shoulders. "Um, sir, why, do you have your team, covering you?" Marie looked over with Nene and Frankie and they all laughed.

"Isn't it obvious?" I asked. "I'm a chair." Liz laughed quietly and adjusted my hat. "Whenever you're ready."

"We won't let you down, Gene." Frankie said. "I plan on cutting loose for once, since I rarely get the chance."

"Good luck, Miss Marie." Nene said. "If Frankie's going all out, Lancelot will need you to be at your best."

"We aren't going to lose this time." Marie said. "If I win, I become Gene's wife."

"I don't recall making that agreement." I said. "Nene said she'd battle you, but she didn't say she's fighting in my name." Marie looked at me with a confused expression.

"W-wh…" She started.

"You assumed, and that's something that leads to, moments like this." I said. She huffed quietly.

"That just means I'll have to use a Full Restore after this, one way or another." She said.

"Unless you lose, in which case, I'd prefer just to go and let you two enjoy the city for a while." I said. "If you win, we can make some time." She huffed again and raised her hand.

"Lancelot." She said. He readied himself as Frankie stretched her arms.  
…

I watched the tent frame assemble while the tent material adhered to it using new adhesives that could only be removed by a sonic frequency, and those were the main cost behind the tent. It wasn't cheap to make, so it wasn't a cheap product, but it was beyond the point of being worth the cost. Nene had won far more easily than expected, using the training they took to become security officers, and Frankie's use of a sleeper hold knocked out Lancelot within thirty seconds, much to all of our surprise, especially Marie's. She decided to take time to get a larger team, and train them to beat me, but I told her to get some rest for a few days first to calm down and enjoy her life. I doubt the point would stick, but I didn't really have a way to make her do what I suggested.

"Gene, do you think Marie will really try to keep challenging us?" Liz asked. I sat on the ground as she walked over, sitting by me.

"Probably." I said. "She didn't strike me as the type to give up, from the first time I saw her." She settled against me, her head on my shoulder, so I set my hand on hers.

"I don't know why, but I feel so, jealous…" She said. "I know you wouldn't every marry her, but, part of me still wonders, if you'd prefer someone more, normal." I looked at her.

"Normal isn't exactly my style." I said. She smiled a little. "After all, normal would have meant no control over my psychic powers, I wouldn't have met you and the others, and I wouldn't be able to travel like this as freely…" She looked at me. "And without you, I wouldn't have a family." She smiled and set her head on my shoulder again as we looked at the tent.

"I'm glad I walked into your tent that night." She said. "It led to, a great life…" She sighed. "If I could have the last four years of my life back, I'd do everything exactly the same." I smiled, but as I went to speak, I heard a loud yelp.

"Help!" Melody called. Liz and I shot up from the ground and turned, and we saw Max on a branch just as it broke, over a fast river. We ran over, but he kept going under when I tried to reach out and grab him.

"I can't, I can't use my psychic abilities to hold him!" Liz said. I stood still, but began moving before I tossed my sunglasses and jacket aside, along with my gloves and boots. "Gene!"

"When you see me floating enough, get us out, but only with both of us." I said. I took off and jumped, using my own psychic power to loft myself over Max. As he was being swept under, I hit the surface, sinking fast. The water had a strong current and I did a few vertical rotations before steadying and swimming toward Max when I saw him. I broke the surface and swam as fast as I could, but he was somehow staying ahead. "Max! Stay above the water! I'm coming!" I went under again and found a current that pulled me toward him faster, and when I saw him go under, I went over to him, grabbing him as he struggled. I swam up and looked around. "Liz! Wh-where…" I held Max up and hit my back against a large rock, but managed to form a field that held me. I saw Liz running, but as I went to speak, water hit me and disrupted my concentration, putting me under again. 'No, no, I need to focus, focus…' Max opened his mouth under the water, as if screaming, and I focused on the bank by Liz, and suddenly I hit the ground on my back and heard Max coughing. I rolled onto my side and spat out a lot of water, coughing up more away from him. Liz ran over and knelt by us.

"Gene, Max, a-are you okay?" She asked quickly. I looked at Max as he coughed, but looked up at me.

"You alright, Max?" I asked. He was silent before coughing up more water on the ground. Liz picked him up carefully and I sat up, resting my arms on my legs as I coughed to clear my lungs a little. "Good thing I…" I coughed again. "Good thing I enjoy swimming." She patted Max's back as Melody ran over with, a Grovyle. I stared before pointing, coughing with my mouth closed. "Drake?" He looked over. "You alright buddy? You look a little, tall." He looked at his body as Liz turned and stared.

"I, I was so worried, I just…" He started. "I don't know." I nodded as I slowly got up, using my powers to manage it. "Are you both alright?" I looked at Max as he groaned quietly in Liz's arms. She looked worried, and the feeling rolled off of her so much I knew the others could feel it.

"I'll be fine." I said. "We'll get some medicine down both of us, to be safe, and then we'll keep an eye on Max to make sure he doesn't get sick." I coughed into my hand as we started walking. "What happened? I was putting the tent up, and the next thing I know, Melody's calling for help…" I leaned down and coughed a few times, still walking, and Drake walked beside me. "And Max is going downriver."

"W-w-we were playing t-tag, and Max j-jumped at Drake." Melody said.

"I jumped out of the way, but I saw him land on a loose rock." Drake added.

"The rock f-f-fell off, and into the r-river, and, and, and I screamed!" Melody continued. I put my hand on her head lightly, patting her.

"I'm glad you let us know so fast." I said.

"I'm sorry." Drake said. "Had I known…"

"It wasn't your fault." I said, looking at him. "How were any of you to know the rock was loose?" When we got to the camp, I sat down as Liz went through the pack with her powers, and I used mine to dry myself off instantly, and then my jacket, gloves, boots, and sunglasses floated over. I put them on calmly as Liz gave Max some medicine, and as she did, the others watched. "How's he doing?"

"Looks like he's tired, but we'll know in a little while if he'll be sick." She said. "Let's keep him warm and close." I made a small blanket float over and she wrapped him in it as he let out a quiet groan. I walked over and put my hand on his forehead.

"Hey, you'll be alright, Max." I said quietly. "Tough little guy like you, that was nothing." He was quiet for a moment before moving a little.

"Dad, hero…" He muttered. I smiled a little as he started breathing quietly, and Liz held him close.

"I'll stay up with him." She said. "I want to make sure he'll be alright."

"I'll take over about midnight." I said. "We won't head out until we know he'll be alright." She nodded as Drake sat down, falling over immediately and making us all look. "Drake?"

"Sorry, sorry…" He said. He grunted as he got up, putting a twig between his lips. "Still getting used to, being this size." Melody giggled and I put my hand on her head, rubbing between her ears. He sat down carefully and sighed before Melody walked over to him, sitting and looking at Max. "I can't believe you just, dove in like that. It was, terrifying. First Max fell in, and then, you went right in after him." Liz slowly looked at me.

"I'd do the same for all of you." I said, looking at them all. "When a friend is in danger, that's, just what I'm willing to do to keep you all with us." They smiled as Liz looked at Max as he grunted quietly.  
…

I looked at the sun as it rose, Max resting in my arms in his blanket, and I felt him stir. I looked down as he slowly opened his eyes and looked at me.

"Good morning." I said softly. I felt his forehead, and oddly, he didn't try to stop me, or bite me, or even make it difficult for me. "No fever, and you're not coughing. That's a good sign." He was silent, so I leaned back a little and looked up. "Sun's rising, and you're okay." He moved a little and I looked to see him getting out of the blanket, so I helped him, but instead of jumping down, he sat on my leg, looking at the sunrise, so I put the blanket over his shoulders. "It's still a little cool." He didn't put up a fight, so I just sat there with him, but I made a bottle of Liz's milk float out and into a pot of warm water that was over the fire. There was a temperature gauge on the bottle so it would tell me when it was exactly the right temperature for him.

"Why?" He asked. I looked at him as he looked up. "Saved me. Why?" I put my hand on his head.

"Liz found you and wanted to take care of you." I said. "I knew it would be cruel to abandon you all over again. If there's one thing I'll never be, it's directly cruel." He was silent as I rubbed his head for a moment, and he looked out at the river again. "More than that, though, Liz is happy when she's taking care of you, and it makes me happy to see her smiling so much." He looked at me again. "I saved you, because I didn't want to lose you. It would have hurt all of us. Melody's your friend, Drake's your friend, Liz is pretty much like a mother to you… You call me dad." I smiled, and to my surprise, so did he. I looked at the milk, and it was just right, so I removed it from the water, but still dabbed a bit on my wrist to be absolutely sure. "And after sleeping so much, I can only imagine how hungry you must be." He held his paws out, so I handed it to him and he quickly started drinking, leaning back into my arm.


End file.
